The Surgical Significance of Stapedial and Labyrinthine Anatomy

Stapes footplate fistula and recurrent meningitis

“…The underlying mechanism for this deformity is still unknown, but 2 generally accepted theories exist The first proposes that the defect is a developmental abnormality related to dysplasia of the layer of cartilage normally preserved as the vestibular surface of the footplate 14 . This occurs early in embryonic development when a portion of the bulk of the stapes degenerates to allow for ossification of the footplate on the preserved vestibular cartilage layer 15 . The bony otic capsule that develops around the labyrinthine system develops rapidly from a cartilaginous model that arises predominantly from the mesenchyme surrounding the otic vesicle early in embryonic development This cartilage model undergoes bony transformation once the components of the inner ear have reached adult dimensions beginning at 17 weeks.…”