![]() ![]() These specialist connections are known as incudomalleolar joints, and the joint that connects the stapes to the oval window is called a tympanostapedial joint. ![]() Much like all the other larger bones in our bodies, the auditory ossicles are interconnected by joints, but these aren’t your garden variety ball and socket or hinge joints. The limbs of the stapes curve out from the head, traveling in tandem to the base, giving the bone its stirrup-like appearance. Stapesĭespite being the smallest of all three ossicles, the stapes has four distinct sections: the head (capitum), the base (footplate), and the two limbs (anterior and posterior). The long limb of the incus travels towards the inside of the head (a diversion known as the lenticular process) before meeting the stapes. Attached to the rear wall of the eardrum by a ligament, the short limb provides the stability required of this central bone. The incus only consists of two parts, or limbs: the short limb and the long limb. It’s both the fulcrum that facilitates the rotation of the malleus and incus connection, as well as a damper for loud low frequencies.Ī larger cone-shaped extension, the lateral process, is situated between the base of the handle and the eardrum, held fast by three ligaments. The anterior extension terminates in a tiny gap in the skull. It’s composed of five distinct sections: the head, the neck, the handle, and two extensions known as the anterior and lateral processes. The malleus, or hammer, is the largest of the auditory ossicles. Structure of the Auditory Ossicles Malleus The incus travels along the middle ear, eventually meeting up with the last of the trio, the stapes, which runs through to the fenestra ovalis (oval window) at the threshold of the inner ear. The first in sequence is the malleus, which runs from the edge of the tympanic membrane, or in other words, the eardrum, through to the second bone in sequence, the incus. This tiny team of bones forms a chain connecting the inner and middle ear. Individually, they’re known as the malleus, incus, and stapes however, as they all have rather striking appearances, they’re commonly referred to as their shapes: hammer, anvil, and stirrup. There are 6 of them in total, 3 in each ear. The reason they’re quite renowned is that they’re the smallest bones in the entire human body. You may have heard of the auditory ossicles before - perhaps they were an answer to a quiz on TV or at a bar. The primary emphasis is on human development.What and Where Are the Auditory Ossicles? The present article traces the history of investigations into the early development and origin of the auditory ossicles, providing extensive translations wherever possible. Inevitably, errors crept into the historical reviews of the subject as translations were quoted and requoted without fresh reference to the original sources. With the exception of a few articles, all of the relevant material was written in the German language, and subsequently there have been no extensive translations of the important studies into English. The subject has been a controversial one, and there have been almost as many opinions as investigators. ![]() Historical Introduction Since Johann Friedrich Meckel wrote his Handbuch der menschlichen Anatomie in 1820, scores of investigators have examined the development of the ossicles and tried to solve the riddle of their origin. ![]()
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