When hair cells die, a permanent hearing loss
results because mammalian cochlear hair cells do not
regenerate.
With extremely loud noise trauma, such as
from a blast injury, there is widespread fracture of the tight
junctions between cells in the organ of Corti, as well as
damage to Reissner’s membrane, the basilar membrane,
and the pillar cells. This can lead to mixing of endolymph
and perilymph, resulting in a severe sensorineural hearing
loss.
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