title: Interposed cartilage as a precaution against extrusions of ceramic ossicular replacement implants.
abstract: Since 1980 we have used middle ear implants of aluminum oxide ceramic in some reconstructions of the ossicular chain. We had opportunities to examine 108 ears (91 patients); the longest period of postoperative observation was 4 years. Follow-up examinations showed that the rates of extrusion and liability to extrusion can be reduced by interposing a small disk of autologous cartilage and perichondrium. Moreover, interposing cartilage trends to improve audiometric results. On the basis of our study, we strongly recommend the interposition of a disk of autologous cartilage and perichondrium between the middle ear implant and eardrum when an Al2O3 implant is used.
mesh_terms: D000537:Aluminum Oxide; D002356:Cartilage / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D002516:Ceramics; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009998:Ossicular Prosthesis; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D013997:Time Factors; D014433:Tympanoplasty
chemical_list: D000537:Aluminum Oxide