Otosclerosis is a disorder of the bone around the stapes, the third of the ossicles - the hearing bones of the middle ear. The bone around the base of the stapes becomes hardened and fixed, preventing the normal motion of the stapes in response to sound waves, resulting in a conductive hearing loss. Cochlear otosclerosis also involves the bone of the inner ear (around the cochlea) and may cause an additional sensorineural (inner ear or nerve loss) hearing loss. Treatment options include fluoride treatment to slow the change in the bone, hearing aids, or surgery to loosen the bone and/or place a prosthetic bone.
