sta·pe·di·us (st -p  d- s)n. A muscle with origin from the internal walls of the pyramidal eminence in the tympanic cavity of the ear, with insertion into the neck of the stapes, with nerve supply from the facial nerve, and whose action draws the head of the stapes backward. |
stapedius
[stəpē′dē·əs]
a small muscle on the wall of the tympanic cavity of the middle ear. It acts reflexively in response to loud sounds to reduce excessive vibrations that could injure the internal ear by pulling the head of the stapes posteriorly out of the oval window.
stapedius
innermost auditory ossicle; shaped like a stirrup.
stapedius muscle
a striated muscle which aids in the dampening of the effects of high-frequency vibrations on the auditory apparatus.
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