Role of Tragal Cartilage in Tympanoplasty

To determine the outcomes of using tragal cartilage in performing tympanoplasty. It was a prospective study of 57 patients with chronic suppurative otitis media. In all patients, pure tone audiometry was done pre-operatively. Tragal cartilage with attached perichondrium as graft material was used for ossicular chain reconstruction. In fifty out of the 57 participants, the outcome was intact ossicular chain. Of the 7 failures, 5 were recorded in the age group of 51-65 years, where graft uptake failed and hearing was not improved. Two of the failed cases required revision tympanoplasty. Post operative audiograms on follow-up revealed reduced air-bone gaps, with dry tympanic cavity and improved hearing. This study concluded that ossiculoplasty using tragal cartilage as a grafting material was an effective and safe surgical method for reconstruction of the ossicular chain and restoration of sound transmission.