title: Results of cavity reconstruction with hydroxyapatite implants after 15 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The results of the first cohort of 60 cavity reconstructions with hydroxyapatite with a minimum follow-up period of 15 years were studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study design was a retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 60 patients had a follow-up period of >15 years. In four patients, not all data were available. Therefore, 56 patients were included in the study. They had a combination of cavity problems and hearing loss.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ear canal was reconstructed with a canal wall prosthesis of porous hydroxyapatite. The ossicular chain was reconstructed with an incus or incus-stapes prosthesis of dense hydroxyapatite.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 15 years, 42 patients (75%) had an intact reconstructed ear canal. The main problem for failure was the recurrent purulent middle ear infection and not cholesteatoma. The histology of the retrieved canal wall showed a good remodeling in living bone tissue. After 15 years, 34 patients had a normal ear canal and an ossicular chain. Of these patients, 7.05% had an air-bone gap closure within 20 dB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term results of cavity reconstruction with hydroxyapatite are possible. The main problem is recurrent mucosal disease of the new middle ear-mastoid cleft.
authors.affiliation: ENT-Department, University Hospital Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Grote
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017886:Durapatite / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004424:Ear Canal / Q000601:surgery*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009998:Ossicular Prosthesis; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D017886:Durapatite