The anterior ligament of the human malleus

The authors have studied the anterior ligament of the malleus (ALM) from a morphological and embryo- logical point of view. Classical textbooks of anatomy stress the correlation between the AL.M and the anterior pin of the sphenoid and define the ligament as a residual of Meckel’s cartilage. This study demonstrates the y-shaped form of the ligament, one arm of which reaches the capsule of the temporomandibular joint and the other the pin of the sphenoid bone. Meckel's cartilage pilots the fibres of the ligament itself. Several clinical implications maybe hypothesised on the basis of this study.