title: Biomaterials for implantable middle ear hearing devices.
abstract: The use of biomaterials to ameliorate the effects of diseases dates back centuries to the ancient Greeks and Chinese. In the twentieth century, the use of synthetic and natural materials rapidly increased as clinicians developed problem-solving strategies. From replacement prostheses, to structural polymers, to the controlled release of engineered proteins into the body, to the present-day tissue engineering, biomaterials have transformed medicine. The ear is no exception. Various alloplastic and homograft biomaterials have been used to restore hearing with ossicular replacement prostheses, cochlear implants, and most recently, implantable middle ear devices. This article updates an earlier review of biomaterials used in implantable middle ear devices and focuses on biomaterials used in implantable middle ear devices currently under development or in clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, the College of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73190, USA. ken-dormer@ouhsc.edu
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Dormer
authors.forename: R Z
authors.initials: RZ
authors.lastname: Gan
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002516:Ceramics; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000601:surgery*; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006801:Humans; D008670:Metals; D011108:Polymers; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D016378:Tissue Transplantation
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D008670:Metals; D011108:Polymers