What is a stapes bone?
The stapes is the third of three tiny bones in the middle ear and the one closest to the inner ear. Because of its shape, it’s sometimes called the stirrup.
What does the stapes bone look like?
The stapes bone is shaped like a stirrup—the name stapes actually means stirrup in Latin. Along with the other two ossicles—the malleus and incus—the stapes bone is essential to the function of hearing.
Where are stapes located on the body?
At 3 mm x 2.5 mm, the “stapes” in the middle ear is the smallest named bone in the human body. The shape of a stirrup, this bone is one of three in the middle ear, collectively known as the ossicles.
What bones become stapes?
The stapes develops from the second pharyngeal arch during the sixth to eighth week of embryological life. The central cavity of the stapes, the obturator foramen, is due to the presence embryologically of the stapedial artery, which usually regresses in humans during normal development.
Is stapes a sesamoid bone?
A sesamoid bone exists within the stapes tendon in certain mammalian species, although it does not exist in humans.
How is stapedectomy performed?
During a stapedectomy, an incision is made in the skin of the ear canal, the skin and eardrum are lifted to expose the stapes bone, and the stapes bone is removed. An incision is made above the ear and the tissue is removed. The tissue is used to cover the opening created by the stapes bone removal.
What is the shape of stapes?
The stapes can be compared to a tuning fork, as it has a horseshoe-like shape. The word means “stirrup” in Latin. The two branches of the stapes, known as the inferior and superior crus, convey sound vibrations to the bone’s flat base.
Can you hear without a stapes?
Most of the time, this happens when bone tissue in your middle ear grows around the stapes in a way it shouldn’t. Your stapes bone has to vibrate for you to hear well. When it can’t do that, sound can’t travel from your middle ear to your inner ear. That makes it hard for you to hear.
What is the tiniest bone in your body?
The stapes
The stapes is the smallest bone in the human body.
What are stapes made of?
Once there, the sound waves vibrate three bones known as the ossicles, which are made up of the malleus, the incus, and the stapes. The stapes is the smallest bone in the human body.
What is the stapes called?
The stapes is the body’s smallest bone! Sometimes called the stirrup, this delicate bone works with two others in the ear to send sound vibrations into the inner ear.
What is the smallest bone in your body called?
What is the anatomy of the stapes bone?
The Anatomy of the Stapes Bone 1 Anatomy. The stapes bone is the smallest bone in the human body. 2 Function. The stapes bone is essential to our ability to hear. 3 Associated Conditions. Otitis media is an ear infection. 4 Treatment.
Is the stapes bone shaped like a stirrup?
The stapes bone is shaped like a stirrup—the name stapes actually means stirrup in Latin. Along with the other two ossicles—the malleus and incus —the stapes bone is essential to the function of hearing. MedicalRF.com / Getty Images
Where do the vibrations of the stapes bone go?
Stapes. The two branches, known as the inferior and superior crus, convey sound vibrations to the bone’s flat base. From there, the vibrations enter the inner ear, where it is processed into neural data to be transmitted to the brain via the cochlear and the auditory nerve.
How are the ossicles related to the stapes?
There, sound waves vibrate three bones known as the ossicles, which are made up of the malleus, the incus and the stapes. The malleus is sometimes compared to a hammer, as it strikes the anvil-shaped incus. Then, the vibrations travel through the stapes. The stapes can be compared to a tuning fork, as it exhibits a horseshoe-like shape.