Anatomy Atlases: Illustrated Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation: Opus V: Skeletal System: Stapes

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Illustrated Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation: Opus V: Skeletal Systems: Cranium

Stapes

Ronald A. Bergman, PhD
Adel K. Afifi, MD, MS
Ryosuke Miyauchi, MD
Peer Review Status: Internally Peer Reviewed

Studies (see references) have shown that the stapes exhibits show marked variations. The head diffcrs in the prominence of its margins, shape of the articular facet and degree of inclination in relation to crural arches. No correlation can be made between the length of the stapcs and its weight. There may be a better relationship between breadth and weight of the ossicle. In the majority of cases, the posterior crus was found to be thicker, larger, and more curved than the anterior crus. The junction of the anterior crus with the base is thinner than the junction of the posterior crus in most cases studied.

Stapes: Length, Breadth and Width From Dass, Grewal and Thapar (1966)
Author	Year	Speciments		Length mm.	Breadth mm.	Weight mg.
Urbantschitsch	1876	50	Maximum Minimum Average	4.50 3.02 3.70	3.50 1.80 2.30	- -
Anson and Bast	1949	-	Maximum Minimum Average	3.78 2.50 3.06	- - -	4.35 2.05 2.86
Dass, Greval, Thapar	1966	165	Maximum Minimum Average	3.93 2.80 3.29	2.72 1.36 2.25	5.45 1.60 3.02

Table 2

Stapes: Measurement of Crura from Dass, Grewal and Thapar (1966)
Author	Year	No. of Bones		Length of Anterior Crus mm.	Length of Posterior Crus mm,	Breadth of Anterior Crus mm.	Breadth of Posterior Crus mm.
Urbantschitsch	1876	50	Maximun Minimum Average	3.4 1.4 2.2	3.7 1.4 2.7	1.0 0.5 0.6	1.0 0.5 0.8
Anson, Karabin and Martin	1939	-	Maximum Minimum Average	2.90 2.30 2.57	2.68 2.13 1.4	- - -	- - -
Dass, Grewal and Thapar	1966	165	Maximum Minimum Average	2.52 1.60 1.98	2.44 1.70 2.03	3.07 0.30 0.27	0.62 0.40 0.38

Table 3

Stapes: Length and Breadth of the Stapes Footplate From Dass, Grewal and Thapar (1966)
		Length (mm)				Breadth (mm)
		Av.	Maximum	Minimum	--	Av.	Maximum	Minimum
Urbantschitsch	(1876)	3.00	3.5	2.6	--	1.5	2.5	1.2
Anson, et al.	(1939)	2.47	2.71	2.0	--	1.5	1.37	0.78
Bast and Anson	(1949)	2.99	3.36	2.64	--	1.41	1.66	1.08
Dass, et al.	(1966)	2.79	3.30	2.29	--	1.43	1.94	0.42

Urbantschitsch (1876) has provided detailed measurements of the malleus, incus and the stapes.

Stapes; Plan of Measurements

Sample Variations of Stapes

References:
Anson, B.J. (1940) Major features in developmental history of human stapes. Quart. Bull. Northwestern Medical School 14:250-257.

Anson, B.J., Karabin, J.E. and J. Martin. (1939) Stapes, fissula ante fenestram. and associated structures in man. Arch. Otolaryngol. 29:939-973.

Bast, T.H. and B.J. Anson. (1949) The Temporal Bone and the Ear. CC Thomas, Springfield, Illinois.

Dass, R., Grewal, B.S. and S.P. Thapar. (1966) Human stapes and its variations. 1. General Features. The Journal of Laryngology and Otology 80(l):11-25.

Dass, R., Grewal, B.S. and S.P. Thapar. (1966) Human stapes and its variations. 11. Footplate. The Journal of Laryngology and Otology 80(5):471-480.

Urbantschitsch, V. (1876) Zur anatomie der Gehörknochelchen des Menschen. Arch. Ohrenheilkunde, 11:1-10.

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