The auditory ossicles are a chain of small bones in the middle ear that transmit sound from the outer ear to the inner ear through mechanical vibration.
The names of the bones that comprise the auditory ossicles are taken from Latin. The malleus translates to the “hammer,” the incus is the “anvil,” and the stapes is the “stirrup.”
While central to hearing, the trio of auditory bones fits into an area no larger than an orange seed.
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How the Auditory Ossicles Work
The purpose of the auditory ossicles (also called the ossicular chain) is to transmit sound via a chain reaction of vibrations that connects the eardrum to the inner ear and cochlea. Once the vibrations reach the cochlea, a hollow, snail-like chamber filled with fluid, they are translated into nerve impulses which the brain interprets as sound.
The auditory chain reaction starts when sound reaches the eardrum (tympanic membrane). The vibrational pressure is passed to the malleus, an articulated bone that flexes at one of the two incudomalleolar joints.
The vibration is then passed to the incus which flexes at another incudomalleolar joint before transferring the impulses to the stapes, the bone of which not only looks like a stirrup but is the smallest in the body.
The role of auditory ossicles is complete when the vibrational input is passed to the cochlea through the oval window (the opening between the middle and the inner ear).
The auditory ossicles serve an important role in hearing in that they transition sound waves from the air to the fluid-filled core the cochlea.
Regulation of Sound
In addition to facilitating hearing, the auditory ossicles serve a protective function when exposed to continuous, loud noises.
When this happens, the muscles of the middle ear (called the stapedius and tensor tympani muscles) will contract. The tightening reduces the movement of auditory ossicles and the impact of the sound.
Age can also slow the speed of the loop, makingolder people more vulnerable to hearing damage.
Disorders of the Auditory Ossicles
The auditory ossicles can occasionally be damaged, both directly and indirectly. Injury can cause hearing loss, sometimes severe, and may include:
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.University of Rochester.Anatomy and physiology of the ear.NIH National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Noise-induced hearing loss.American Hearing Research Foundation.Otosclerosis.Stanford Children’s Health.Ossicular chain dislocation.Medline Plus.Cholesteatoma.Devaraja, K.Myringitis: an update.Journal of Otology. 2019;14(1):26-29. doi: 10.1016/j.joto.2018.11.003Columbia University Irving Medical Center.Otitis media (middle ear infection) in adults.NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.Ossicular malformations, familial.Additional ReadingDahlin Redfors Y, Möller C.Otosclerosis: thirty-year follow-up after surgery.Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2011;120(9):608-614. doi:10.1177/000348941112000909National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Age-related hearing loss.Saha, R.; Srimani, P.; Mazumdar, A. et al. Morphological variations of middle ear ossicles and its clinical implications.J Clin Diagn Res.2017;11(1):AC01-04. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2017/23906.9147.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.University of Rochester.Anatomy and physiology of the ear.NIH National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Noise-induced hearing loss.American Hearing Research Foundation.Otosclerosis.Stanford Children’s Health.Ossicular chain dislocation.Medline Plus.Cholesteatoma.Devaraja, K.Myringitis: an update.Journal of Otology. 2019;14(1):26-29. doi: 10.1016/j.joto.2018.11.003Columbia University Irving Medical Center.Otitis media (middle ear infection) in adults.NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.Ossicular malformations, familial.Additional ReadingDahlin Redfors Y, Möller C.Otosclerosis: thirty-year follow-up after surgery.Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2011;120(9):608-614. doi:10.1177/000348941112000909National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Age-related hearing loss.Saha, R.; Srimani, P.; Mazumdar, A. et al. Morphological variations of middle ear ossicles and its clinical implications.J Clin Diagn Res.2017;11(1):AC01-04. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2017/23906.9147.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
University of Rochester.Anatomy and physiology of the ear.NIH National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Noise-induced hearing loss.American Hearing Research Foundation.Otosclerosis.Stanford Children’s Health.Ossicular chain dislocation.Medline Plus.Cholesteatoma.Devaraja, K.Myringitis: an update.Journal of Otology. 2019;14(1):26-29. doi: 10.1016/j.joto.2018.11.003Columbia University Irving Medical Center.Otitis media (middle ear infection) in adults.NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.Ossicular malformations, familial.
University of Rochester.Anatomy and physiology of the ear.
NIH National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Noise-induced hearing loss.
American Hearing Research Foundation.Otosclerosis.
Stanford Children’s Health.Ossicular chain dislocation.
Medline Plus.Cholesteatoma.
Devaraja, K.Myringitis: an update.Journal of Otology. 2019;14(1):26-29. doi: 10.1016/j.joto.2018.11.003
Columbia University Irving Medical Center.Otitis media (middle ear infection) in adults.
NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.Ossicular malformations, familial.
Dahlin Redfors Y, Möller C.Otosclerosis: thirty-year follow-up after surgery.Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2011;120(9):608-614. doi:10.1177/000348941112000909National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Age-related hearing loss.Saha, R.; Srimani, P.; Mazumdar, A. et al. Morphological variations of middle ear ossicles and its clinical implications.J Clin Diagn Res.2017;11(1):AC01-04. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2017/23906.9147.
Dahlin Redfors Y, Möller C.Otosclerosis: thirty-year follow-up after surgery.Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2011;120(9):608-614. doi:10.1177/000348941112000909
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Age-related hearing loss.
Saha, R.; Srimani, P.; Mazumdar, A. et al. Morphological variations of middle ear ossicles and its clinical implications.J Clin Diagn Res.2017;11(1):AC01-04. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2017/23906.9147.
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