To test a hypothesis that ventilation of the eustachian tube (ET) varies with age, we investigated the relationship between age and the attachment of the tensor veli palatini muscle (TVPM) to the lateral lamina of the ET cartilage in 12 normal human temporal bones obtained from individuals 3 months to 81 years old. We used computer-aided 3-dimensional reconstruction and measurement methods. We found that the length of the TVPM attachment and its ratio to the length of the ET, especially that of the cartilaginous portion of the ET, increases with age from infancy to adulthood, and decreases with age from young adulthood to later life. These findings are thought to be related to postnatal development and aging. The possibility of differences in ventilation function with age is discussed.
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