Comparison of titanium and Robinson stainless steel stapes piston prostheses.
OBJECTIVE
Although stainless steel stapes prostheses have generally been considered magnetic resonance imaging safe, there is concern that this may change with the development of more powerful imaging systems. The objective of the study was to determine whether a titanium piston stapes prosthesis would be audiometrically and surgically equivalent to a Robinson stainless steel piston for stapedectomy.


METHODS
Retrospective chart review.


METHODS
Private otology practice.


METHODS
In all, 50 patients underwent stapedectomy with a Gyrus titanium piston prosthesis. These patients were matched on the basis of age and preoperative bone-conduction scores with patients who underwent stapedectomy with a Robinson stainless steel piston prosthesis.


METHODS
Audiometric results are analyzed, and surgical complications noted.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference between groups in hearing improvement or postoperative air-bone gap. The mean four-frequency hearing improvement was 27.7 dB for the stainless steel group and 27.8 dB for the titanium group. The mean postoperative air-bone gap was 2.65 dB for the stainless steel group and 2.60 for the titanium group. Neither group had a surgical complication.


CONCLUSIONS
The titanium stapes prosthesis is a good alternative to a stainless steel prosthesis.
Lippy
William H
WH
The Lippy Group for Ear, Nose and Throat, Warren, Ohio 44484, USA.
Burkey
John M
JM
Schuring
Arnold G
AG
Berenholz
Leonard P
LP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D004429:Ear Ossicles / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013193:Stainless Steel; D013201:Stapes Surgery / Q000379:methods; D014025:Titanium
D013193:Stainless Steel; D014025:Titanium