Definition

Noun: - An oval opening in the medial wall of the middle ear: The fenestra vestibuli (also known as the oval window) is a membrane-covered opening that connects the middle ear to the vestibule of the inner ear. The base (footplate) of the stapes bone is attached to this membrane.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • Sound vibrations are transmitted from the stapes to the inner ear via the fenestra vestibuli.
  • The surgeon carefully examined the fenestra vestibuli during the procedure.

Advanced Usage

• Anatomical Context: The term is primarily used in technical anatomical, medical, and audiological descriptions. It is a key structure in the chain of sound conduction.
  • Otosclerosis can cause fixation of the stapes at the fenestra vestibuli, leading to conductive hearing loss.

Variants and Related Words

• Oval window: The common English synonym for fenestra vestibuli.
  • The oval window and the round window (fenestra cochleae) are the two openings from the middle ear to the inner ear.

Synonyms

• Oval window: The direct and most frequently used synonym in English.

Related Terms (Anatomical)

• Fenestra cochleae (noun): The round window; a second, smaller opening in the medial wall of the middle ear, covered by a membrane.
  • Pressure waves in the perilymph are dissipated through the fenestra cochleae.
• Stapes (noun): The stirrup-shaped bone whose footplate attaches to the fenestra vestibuli.
• Vestibule (noun): The central cavity of the bony labyrinth of the inner ear, which the fenestra vestibuli opens into.

Noun

1. fenestra that has the base of the stapes attached to it