A client has been diagnosed with otosclerosis. the nurse explains to the client that this is a common cause of hearing impairment among adults and is the result of a bony overgrowth of the:

The right answer is spongy bone (cancellous bone).

In otosclerosis, the new bone blocks the movement of the stirrup, causing transmission hypoacusia. Otosclerosis can also cause perceptive deafness, especially when otosclerotic bone foci are close to scala media. Half of all cases are hereditary. The measles virus may play a role in triggering a genetic predisposition to otosclerosis.