To begin, identify the inner ear within the temporal bone of a euthanized mouse. Scrape away the cranial nerves using number 55 forceps. Then use number 55 forceps to dissect out the bulla and capsule, detaching them from surrounding bone.
Remove any remaining soft tissue from the inner ear surface. For SV dissection, use number 55 forceps to hold the specimen by the vestibular portion with the cochlear facing up. Pierce through the cochlear bone at the apex using the same forceps.
Scrape along the apical turn, applying gentle force to break away small pieces of the outer bone layer. Gently lift the bone and detach it from the lateral wall. Using number 55 forceps remove cochlear bone pieces from the apical and middle turns.
Gently pushing down the lateral wall, pry and remove the bone wall pieces towards the middle turn to expose the lateral wall of the apical and middle turns. Push the apical turn lateral wall aside to expose the spiral ganglion. Detach the lateral wall of the apical and middle turns from the spiral ganglion along the outer hair cell layer.
Then remove pieces of spiral ganglion from inside the cochlear. Detach the cochlear from the vestibular portion of the temporal bone by inserting the forceps into the round and oval window and pushing down towards the vestibule to have better access to the lateral wall of the basal turn. After the cochlear is detached remove the vestibular portion of the inner ear.
Prioritize preserving as much of the strayer as possible. Continue removing til the bone of the middle turn is detached from the SV.Next, remove pieces of the remaining cochlear bone covering the basal turn. This can be accomplished by pushing the lateral wall layer under the bone to detach it.
Pry and gently pull the tissue to remove the farthest basal part of the lateral wall being careful not to damage the soft tissue below. With the basal part of the lateral wall detached, separate the lateral wall from the remaining cochlear by tracing the forceps along the lateral wall. Gently brush the forceps between the bone and the remaining lateral wall until it reaches the apex.
Then move the lateral wall to a fresh PBS. Lay the lateral wall flat revealing the SV as a darker layer of tissue on the internal side of the lateral wall. Gently pry the SV layer away from the lateral wall.
Push aside the detached SV and advance the forceps along the lateral wall attempting to detach the SV as one long ribbon, trying not to squeeze the SV.Use a tissue scoop to collect the fragile tissue. Cochlear were dissected from adult mouse aged greater than or equal to postnatal day 30. Inner ear was extracted from the surrounding temporal bone.
SV was exposed after the removal of bone covering the middle turn. The SV was fully separated from the lateral wall after dissection.
