Hearing results in stapes surgery using two different prosthesis.
OBJECTIVE
Evaluation of hearing results after implantation of a fluoroplastic-platinum piston (FP) and of a titanium piston (T) with a shaft diameter of respectively 0.6 mm and 0.4 mm, in cases of otosclerosis requiring stapedotomy.


METHODS
Pre-operative and post-operative hearing results obtained after primary stapedotomy by implantation of 30 FP and 30 T performed by the same expert author (C.Z.) were reviewed. In each patient we evaluated pre- and post-operative auditory thresholds, as recommended.


RESULTS
All patients of both groups showed a significant air-bone gap (ABG) improvement for all frequencies after surgery ( P < 0. 001). Post-operative ABG comparison between the two groups showed a better ABG for lower frequencies in the FP group and for higher frequencies in the T group, but the difference was not significant. No post-operative complications, including sensorineural hearing loss, were found. Bone conduction improvement was better in the FP group than in the T one and this difference was statistically significant at 1000 and 2000 Hz. There was no statistically significant difference in the post-operative outcomes between the two prosthesis. Better results of FP for lower frequencies suggest that an increase in diameter of the prosthesis results in a greater improvement in the hearing threshold at low frequencies, while a decrease of diameter results in a greater improvement in the hearing threshold at high frequencies, as indicated by previous international studies.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data shows that titanium piston is a as good as fluoroplastic piston in stapes surgery for otosclerosis.
Casale
M
M
Area of Otolaryngology, Interdisciplinary Center for Biomedical Research (CIR), University Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy. m.casale@unicampus.it
De Franco
A
A
Salvinelli
F
F
Piazza
F
F
Vincenzi
A
A
Zini
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010040:Otosclerosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010969:Plastics; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013201:Stapes Surgery / Q000379:methods*; D014025:Titanium; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D010969:Plastics; D014025:Titanium