Semibiologic middle ear prostheses: ossicle cup and ossicle columella

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Surgical Innovation

Background:

• Ossicular reconstruction is crucial for hearing restoration after middle ear damage.
• Existing prostheses face challenges with complex anatomical variations.
• Semibiologic prostheses offer a novel approach to address these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate two new semibiologic prostheses for ossicular reconstruction.
• To assess the efficacy and adaptability of these prostheses in various middle ear conditions.
• To report on hearing outcomes and complication rates.

Main Methods:

• Development of the "ossicle cup" for incus replacement and "ossicle columella" for total ossicular replacement.
• Surgical implantation of prostheses involving placement into native ossicles.
• Evaluation of hearing results at one year post-surgery and monitoring for extrusion.

Main Results:

• The ossicle cup achieved successful hearing in 87% of cases at one year.
• The ossicle columella resulted in successful hearing in 71% of cases at one year.
• The overall extrusion rate for both prostheses was less than 1%.

Conclusions:

• Semibiologic prostheses, ossicle cup and ossicle columella, are effective in ossicular reconstruction.
• These prostheses successfully address anatomical challenges like retracted tympanic membranes and absent stapes capitulum.
• High hearing restoration rates and low extrusion rates indicate a promising advancement in middle ear surgery.