On the Coupling between the Incus and the Stapes

There is a thin bony pedicle joining the lenticular plate to the rest of the long process of the incus. We have previously presented a brief review of its anatomy; new histological observations in cat; and a simplified finite-element model of the long process, pedicle, lenticular plate, incudostapedial joint and stapes head in the cat. Low-frequency simulations suggested that there may be more flexibility in the pedicle than in the incudostapedial joint itself. In this paper the modelling work is extended: a 3-D model for the cat is shown which has a more realistic geometry, and a model for the human is presented.