The round window is a small opening in the medial wall of the middle ear, below and behind the oval window, closed by a thin flexible membrane. It sits at the lower end of the scala tympani. As the stapes pushes inward at the oval window, the round window membrane bulges outward, letting the cochlear fluid move.
| Location | Medial wall of the middle ear, in a niche below and behind the promontory |
|---|---|
| Parts |
|
| Nerve Supply | Tympanic plexus (CN IX) |
| Blood Supply | Middle ear mucosal branches of the anterior tympanic and stylomastoid arteries |
Acts as a pressure release for the cochlea, allowing fluid waves set up by the stapes to travel through the inner ear.
Without a working round window, the incompressible inner ear fluid could not move and hearing would be poor. Cochlear implant electrodes are commonly inserted through or next to the round window into the scala tympani. Drugs such as steroids and gentamicin placed in the middle ear pass into the inner ear mainly through the round window membrane.
A tear in the round window membrane from straining, barotrauma or head injury, leaking perilymph and causing sudden hearing loss and vertigo.
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