[Operative repair of the traumatically disrupted ossicular chain (author's transl)]

Consequent to the large number of skull injuries following traffic accidents, a significant number of patients experience traumatic disruption of the ossicular chain. Although most of these injuries can be managed by standard otologic procedures, this communication deals with three special clinical problems. Although not previously encountered, the diagnosis in the first could be made by otoscopy. In the second, infracture of the malleolar head had produced injury to the facial nerve which was exposed in its horizontal course. Although transposition of the malleus was required in repair, significant interference with hearing had not occurred since a spontaneous tympanoincudopexy had been produced by the injury.