Tiscali Quicklinks. Please visit our Accessibility Page for a list of the Access Keys you can use to find your way around the site, skip directly to the main navigation, to the page content, or to more links within reference.
The middle ear cavity houses the sound-conduction mechanism called the ossicular chain, consisting of three tiny bones (ossicles) that magnify vibrations received at the eardrum for onward transmission to the inner ear. In otosclerosis, extraneous growth of spongy bone immobilizes the chain, preventing the conduction of sound. Surgery is necessary to remove the diseased bone and reconstruct the ossicular chain.