Auditory Ossicles Diagram
In this article, we’ll discuss the auditory ossicles, namely the malleus, incus, and stapes. Inside of the middle ear are the smallest bones in the body–the auditory ossicles, or ear bones. By definition, these three bones are named after their shape: malleus (“hammer”), incus (anvil), and stapes (stirrup).
Structure. The ossicles are, in order from the eardrum to the inner ear (from superficial to deep): the malleus, incus, and stapes, terms that in Latin are translated as “the hammer, anvil, and stirrup “. The malleus ( Latin: “hammer”) articulates with the incus through the incudomalleolar joint and is attached to…
By definition, these three bones are named after their shape: malleus (“hammer”), incus (anvil), and stapes (stirrup). During development, the auditory ossicles are the first bones to fully ossify and are mature at the time of birth, where they do not grow afterwards. The ossicles are situated in the middle ear and suspended by ligaments.