Stapediovestibular joint
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created Daniel J Bell had no recorded disclosures.
View Daniel J Bell's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Rohit Sharma had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Rohit Sharma's current disclosures- Annular ligament of the stapes
- Stapedial annular ligament
- Ligamentum anulare stapedis
- Annular ligament (stapes)
- Stapediovestibular joints
The stapediovestibular joint is the fully-functional articulation between the stapes and the oval window. It has a key role in the transmission of sound vibrations in the middle ear to the fluid in the vestibule, and thence in the cochlea 2.
Gross anatomy
The annular ligament of the stapes, also known as the ligamentum anulare stapedis, attaches the rim of the footplate of the stapes to the rim of the oval window.
The annular ligament is formed from fibrous tissue. Measurements of cadaveric specimens using micro-CT show that the thickness of the annular ligament varied from 0.26 mm to 0.64 mm, with a mean of 0.38 mm 1. In clinical work the small size of these structures is below the spatial resolution of even high resolution CT of the petrous bone to resolve. However cone-beam CT might be able to in the future.
There is disagreement in the literature about what type of articulation the stapediovestibular joint is, it has been described variously as a syndesmosis, amphiarthrosis, a synarthrosis, or an incomplete diarthrosis 4.
ADVERTISEMENT: Supporters see fewer/no ads
Development
The stapediovestibular joint shows the typical development of a syndesmosis. The annular ligament forms as a cartilaginous precursor from the adjacent footplate and the otic capsule. The joint attains its normal developed form by the 12th gestation week 3.
References
- 1. Mohammadi A, Jufas N, Sale P, Lee K, Patel N, O'Leary S. Micro-CT analysis of the anatomical characteristics of the stapedial annular ligament. (2017) Anatomical science international. 92 (2): 262-266. doi:10.1007/s12565-016-0331-4 - Pubmed
- 2. Kwacz M, Rymuza Z, Michałowski M, Wysocki J. Elastic Properties of the Annular Ligament of the Human Stapes--AFM Measurement. (2015) Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO. 16 (4): 433-46. doi:10.1007/s10162-015-0525-9 - Pubmed
- 3. Whyte JR, González L, Cisneros AI, Yus C, Torres A, Sarrat R. Fetal development of the human tympanic ossicular chain articulations. (2002) Cells, tissues, organs. 171 (4): 241-9. doi:10.1159/000063124 - Pubmed
- 4. Tavernier L, Linthicum FH. Sesamoid bone in the stapediovestibular articulation with conductive hearing loss. (2006) Otology & neurotology : official publication of the American Otological Society, American Neurotology Society [and] European Academy of Otology and Neurotology. 27 (5): 741-2. doi:10.1097/01.mao.0000224077.32108.0d - Pubmed
Incoming Links
Related articles: Anatomy: Head and neck
- skeleton of the head and neck
-
cranial vault
- scalp (mnemonic)
- fontanelle
-
sutures
- calvarial
- facial
- frontozygomatic suture
- frontomaxillary suture
- frontolacrimal suture
- frontonasal suture
- temporozygomatic suture
- zygomaticomaxillary suture
- parietotemporal suture (parietomastoid suture)
- occipitotemporal suture (occipitomastoid suture)
- sphenofrontal suture
- sphenozygomatic suture
- spheno-occipital suture (not a true suture)
- lacrimomaxillary suture
- nasomaxillary suture
- internasal suture
- basal/internal
- skull landmarks
- frontal bone
- temporal bone
- parietal bone
- occipital bone
- skull base (foramina)
-
facial bones
- midline single bones
- paired bilateral bones
- cervical spine
- hyoid bone
- laryngeal cartilages
-
cranial vault
- muscles of the head and neck
- muscles of the tongue (mnemonic)
- muscles of mastication
-
facial muscles
- epicranius muscle
- circumorbital and palpebral muscles
- nasal muscles
-
buccolabial muscles
- elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip
- levator labii superioris alaeque nasalis muscle
- levator labii superioris muscle
- zygomaticus major muscle
- zygomaticus minor muscle
- levator anguli oris muscle
- malaris muscle
- risorius muscle
- depressors, retractors and evertors of the lower lip
- depressor labii inferioris muscle
- depressor anguli oris muscle
- mentalis muscle
- compound sphincter
-
orbicularis oris muscle
- incisivus labii superioris muscle
- incisivus labii inferioris muscle
-
orbicularis oris muscle
- muscle of mastication
- modiolus
- elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip
- muscles of the middle ear
- orbital muscles
- muscles of the soft palate
- pharyngeal muscles
- suprahyoid muscles
- infrahyoid muscles
- intrinsic muscles of the larynx
- muscles of the neck
- platysma muscle
- longus colli muscle
- longus capitis muscle
- scalenus anterior muscle
- scalenus medius muscle
- scalenus posterior muscle
- scalenus pleuralis muscle
- sternocleidomastoid muscle
-
suboccipital muscles
- rectus capitis posterior major muscle
- rectus capitis posterior minor muscle
- obliquus capitis superior muscle
- obliquus capitis inferior muscle
- accessory muscles of the neck
- deep cervical fascia
-
deep spaces of the neck
- anterior cervical space
- buccal space
- carotid space
- danger space
- deep cervical fascia
- infratemporal fossa
- masticator space
- parapharyngeal space
- stylomandibular tunnel
- parotid space
- pharyngeal (superficial) mucosal space
- perivertebral space
- posterior cervical space
- pterygopalatine fossa
- retropharyngeal space
- suprasternal space (of Burns)
- visceral space
- surgical triangles of the neck
- orbit
- ear
- paranasal sinuses
- upper respiratory tract
- viscera of the neck
- blood supply of the head and neck
-
arterial supply
-
common carotid artery
- carotid body
- carotid bifurcation
- subclavian artery
- variants
-
common carotid artery
- venous drainage
-
arterial supply
- innervation of the head and neck
-
cranial nerves
- olfactory nerve (CN I)
- optic nerve (CN II)
- oculomotor nerve (CN III)
- trochlear nerve (CN IV)
-
trigeminal nerve (CN V) (mnemonic)
- trigeminal ganglion
- ophthalmic division
- maxillary division
- mandibular division
- abducens nerve (CN VI)
- facial nerve (CN VII)
-
vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)
- vestibular ganglion (Scarpa's ganglion)
- glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
- vagus nerve (CN X)
- (spinal) accessory nerve (CN XI)
- hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
- parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck
- cervical sympathetic ganglia
- greater occipital nerve
- third occipital nerve
-
cervical plexus
- muscular branches
- longus capitis
- longus colli
- scalenes
- geniohyoid
- thyrohyoid
-
ansa cervicalis
- omohyoid (superior and inferior bellies separately)
- sternothyroid
- sternohyoid
- phrenic nerve
- contribution to the accessory nerve (CN XI)
- cutaneous branches
- muscular branches
- brachial plexus
- pharyngeal plexus
-
cranial nerves
- lymphatic drainage of the head and neck
- embryological development of the head and neck
Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.