title: Comparison of titanium and Robinson stainless steel stapes piston prostheses.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: The Lippy Group for Ear, Nose and Throat, Warren, Ohio 44484, USA.
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Lippy
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Burkey
authors.forename: Arnold G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Schuring
authors.forename: Leonard P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Berenholz
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D013193:Stainless Steel; D014025:Titanium