Combined organ of Corti/modiolus technique for preparing mammalian cochleas for quantitative microscopy

An improved cochlear preparation technique is described with the following key features: 1) Preservation of the organ of Corti (OC) and the spiral ganglion cells (SGCs) in the same cochlea for quantitative, high-resolution microscopic evaluation; 2) Dissection of the plastic-embedded cochlea so that the entire OC can be prepared as whole mounts for quantitative study while the modiolus remains in a single block; 3) Decalcification and serial sectioning of the modiolus so that all SGC bodies are available for microscopic examination. This technique will be valuable for correlating the condition of the OC, nerve terminals, nerve fibers and the SGC bodies in normal and damaged cochleas.