stapedius (muscle)


sta·pe·di·us (mus·cle)

[TA] one of the muscles of the auditory ossicles; origin, internal walls of pyramidal eminence in tympanic cavity; insertion, neck of the stapes; action, dampens vibration of stapes by drawing the head of the stapes backward as a result of a protective reflex stimulated by loud noise; nerve supply, facial. Synonym(s): musculus stapedius [TA], stapedius