attached to muscles innervated by the trigeminal nerve sphenoid bone tensor tympani muscle http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/UBERON_0001600 The tensor tympani muscle is a muscle of the middle ear in mammals. It is attached to the malleus bone, the cartilaginous auditory tube (pharyngotympanic tube), the greater wing of the sphenoid bone, and the wall of the tympanic cavity of the temporal bone. It is innervated by the trigeminal nerve. temporal bone malleus bone pharyngotympanic tube