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Audiometric Outcome Comparison between Titanium Prosthesis and Molded Autologous Material
Tiago Órfão1, Sara Júlio2, José Filipe Ramos2
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Centro Hospitalar de São João, EPE, Porto, Portugal University of Porto Medical School, Porto, Portugal tiagoorfao@gmail.com.
Summary
Titanium prostheses show promising audiometric outcomes for ossicular reconstruction, but did not demonstrate statistically significant superiority over autologous materials in improving air-bone gap or pure-tone average after adjusting for surgical factors.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Biomaterials Science
- Audiology
Background:
- Ossicular reconstruction is a common surgical procedure to restore hearing in patients with conductive hearing loss.
- Titanium prostheses and autologous materials are frequently used for ossicular reconstruction, each with potential advantages and disadvantages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the audiometric outcomes of ossicular reconstruction using titanium prostheses versus autologous materials.
- To identify factors influencing the success of ossicular reconstruction in terms of air-bone gap and pure-tone average.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 91 patients undergoing ossiculoplasty between October 2008 and December 2011.
- Audiometric results (air-bone gap and pure-tone average) were compared between patients who received titanium prostheses (n=43) and those who received autologous material (n=48).
- Regression analysis was used to explore associations between hearing gain and variables including ossiculoplasty material, age, preoperative diagnosis, and surgical approach.
Main Results:
- Both titanium and autologous reconstruction groups showed postoperative improvements in air-bone gap and pure-tone average.
- The titanium group demonstrated a greater reduction in air-bone gap (11.0 dB) and pure-tone average (12.4 dB) compared to the autologous group (4.0 dB and 5.1 dB, respectively).
- While the Mann-Whitney test indicated superior results for titanium prostheses (P = .02), multivariate regression analysis found no statistically significant differences after adjusting for confounding factors. One titanium prosthesis extrusion (2%) occurred.
Conclusions:
- Titanium prostheses offer promising audiometric results in ossicular reconstruction.
- However, this study did not find statistically significant differences in hearing outcomes between titanium prostheses and autologous ossiculoplasty when accounting for various surgical and patient factors.
