When the ossicles are broken, missing, or otherwise not functional, hearing can be reduced by a large amount for "air" conduction, but hearing through the bone is unaffected. This type of hearing loss is called a " conductive" hearing loss.
As a general rule, conductive hearing loss can be surgically fixed, as the ossicles can be replaced with a prosthesis. In addition, bone-conduction type hearing devices can bypass the middle ear and also "fix" a conductive hearing loss, although these require some sort of device to be attached to the head.
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The smallest bones in the body, the auditory ossicles, are three bones in each middle ear that work together to transmit soundwaves to the inner ear —thereby playing an essential role in hearing. The malleus , incus , and stapes —commonly referred to by their shapes as the hammer, anvil, and stirrup, respectively—form an interconnected chain from the tympanic membrane eardrum to the oval window, which separates the middle ear from the inner ear.
When sound travels through the ear canal, the eardrum vibrates. The ossicles carry that vibration to the cochlea , a fluid-filled inner-ear structure that converts the message to electrical signals that are processed by the brain. These issues can lead to partial or total deafness, as well as other hearing problems. The outermost ossicle is the malleus, followed by the incus, which is then connected to the stapes. The three ossicles are connected to each other via joints, which allow the bones to move in response to the motion of the eardrum.
Malleus Hammer. The largest of the ossicles, the malleus has:. On the inner anterior side, the oval-shaped head connects to the incus via a small, saddle-shaped facet joint with a larger upper portion and a smaller lower portion. The neck connects the head to the handle, which extends downward, curling forward slightly and narrowing as it joins the lower portion of the eardrum at the spatulate process of the malleus, which is a tiny projection.
The tensor timpani muscle is a small muscle that helps dampen sounds that are too loud. The tendon of the tensor timpani muscle inserts into a small protrusion. Just below the neck, the anterior process of the malleus is a tiny protrusion that terminates in a small fissure in the temporal bone a part of the skull.
The lateral process is a larger, cone-shaped projection that extends upward from the root of the handle, attaching to the upper portion of the eardrum.
Incus Anvil. The body of the incus is the larger, upper portion of this bone. Explanation: There are three ossicles in each ear : Malleus, Incus, Stapes. Related questions What the chemical messengers that travel in the blood? What are the different body systems in human body and what are their functions? What major roles does RNA play in the body? Where exactly is DNA found in the body?
The tympanic membrane divides the external ear from the middle ear. Three small bones that are connected and transmit the sound waves to the inner ear. The bones are called:. Eustachian tube. A canal that links the middle ear with the back of the nose. The eustachian tube helps to equalize the pressure in the middle ear.
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