Mechanoacoustic properties of the tympanic membrane: a study on isolated Mongolian gerbil temporal bones

In order to study the mechanical properties of the tympanic membrane in diseased ears, we have designed and evaluated an experimental tympanometric model. Isolated temporal bones of healthy Mongolian gerbils were studied with a Grason-Stadler 1723 typanometer in two-component admittance measurements with probe tones of 220 and 660 Hz. The normal tympanometric curve is described, and the validity and reproducibility of the model are assessed. The morphology of the gerbil tympanic membrane is described and compared with those of other species. Various alterations were produced in the middle ear, and it was found that tympanometry showed high sensitivity for tympanic membrane stiffness but not for mass changes. The condition of the pars flaccida did not significantly influence admittance, which was also resistant to osmotic challenge to the membrane. Ossicular chain disruption caused an increased admittance, whereas malleus fixation, without affecting the tympanic membrane itself, caused a pronounced reduction. The tympanometric patterns during tympanic membrane mass increase, and with hypertrophic myringeal scars and perforations were also determined. We conclude that tympanometry in the in vitro middle ear of gerbils offers possibilities for studying changes of the tympanic membrane physiology in disease.