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Updated: Apr 7, 2026
The Microscopic Transcanal Approach in Stapes Surgery Revisited
Published on: February 16, 2022
Comparison of Audiometric and Functional Outcomes Between the Standard and Modified 360 Nitinol Shape Memory Stapes
Jeremy Lavy1, Charlie Huins, Sherif Khalil
1ENT Department, Royal National Throat, Nose & Ear Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
Objective:
To compare audiometric and functional outcomes between two designs of heat-activated self-crimping stapes prostheses-a modified shape memory circumferential nitinol-Teflon piston versus its predecessor-in patients with otosclerosis.
Study Design:
A retrospective analysis of preoperative and postoperative hearing thresholds.
Setting:
Tertiary referral center and teaching hospital.
Patients:
One hundred sixty-three consecutive procedures of primary stapes surgery for clinically proven otosclerosis in 108 women and 55 men with an average age of 46 years.
Intervention:
Stapedotomy and insertion of either a standard or a circumferential stapes prosthesis.
Main Outcome Measures:
Four-frequency pure-tone average preoperative and postoperative air-bone thresholds were recorded. A secondary outcome measure was stability of the implant, as measured by failure rates.
Results:
Success of closure of the air-bone gap to within 10 dB was achieved in 97% and comparable in both groups (original prosthesis, 23.6; standard deviation, 7.3, with the average reduction seen in the circumferential prosthesis group being 22.6, standard deviation, 5.6). All the differences were not statistically significant using two-way analysis of variance. Failure rate for the original piston was 6%, with no failures seen with the circumferential piston.
Conclusion:
Both prostheses showed comparable postoperative hearing outcomes, with the circumferential prosthesis being found to be more stable.
