Both the stapedius and tensor tympani are striated muscles
The stapedius is about 6 mm in length, arises from the pyramidal process and the tendon attaches to the posterior neck of the stapes
The stapedius is a muscle with a high oxidative capacity
The tensor tympani is about 25 mm in length, the muscle is not as strong as the stapedius, and the tendon also contains more elastic tissue and fat
The tensor tympani courses through a bony canal in the wall of the anterior middle ear, and attaches to the neck of the manubrium
The tensor tympani and stapedius muscles are protective reflexes
They reduce the amount of sound that gets into the inner ear
They are somewhat similar to the blink reflex thus they can be triggered by loud noise, and when they go off, both ears can be involved
If stapedius and tensor tympani muscles is not present then loud sounds would cause the ossicles to move too much, potentially causing damage to the inner ear

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3 years ago