A patient with otosclerosis experiences progressive hearing loss. Which mechanism explains why stapedotomy (surgical removal of the stapes bone and replacement with a prosthesis) typically restores hearing?

💡 Explanation

Stapedotomy restores hearing by directly bypassing the fixation caused by abnormal bone remodeling in otosclerosis, restoring sound transmission through the ossicular chain to the cochlea. Therefore, mechanical obstruction is alleviated, rather than inner ear damage being repaired, because the prosthesis vibrates directly on the oval window.

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