[Repair of incus long arm defects by hydroxyapatite bone cement]

This study aims to evaluate our ossiculoplasty results using hydroxyapatite bone cement.

Data of 29 patients (16 males, 13 females; mean age 28 years; range 17 to 57 years) who were performed ossiculoplasty using hydroxyapatite bone cement in İzmir Katip Çelebi University Atatürk Training and Research Hospital Department of Otorhinolaryngology between January 2010 and December 2013 were retrospectively evaluated. Of the 29 operated patients, bone cement was administered in 23 patients during tympanoplasty, in two patients during open technique tympanomastoidectomy, and in four patients during exploratory tympanotomy. Hydroxyapatite bone cement was only used to repair defects between incus and stapes no longer than one third of incus long arm length. Mean follow-up time was 6.5 months (range 2-32 months).

Success of ossiculoplasty was evaluated by Belfast 15/30 dB rule of thumb. Preoperative air-bone gap was 45.1 dB (range 35-55) and postoperative air-bone gap was 17.7 dB (range 6-40). Air-bone gap was below 10 dB in six patients, between 10-20 dB in 14 patients, between 20-30 dB in seven patients, and between 30-40 dB in two patients.

Ossiculoplasty using hydroxyapatite bone cement is a safe and effective method for the repair of particularly small incus long arm defects.