The crimping problem in stapes surgery.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to compare the attachment of stapes prostheses with differently shaped loops to the long process of the incus.


METHODS
Gold, steel/Teflon, platinum/Teflon, and two different titanium stapes prostheses were inserted in 30 specially prepared temporal bones by three experienced surgeons using the Fisch technique with the McGee crimper and straight alligator forceps for the crimping of the loops.


RESULTS
In all prostheses, a sufficiently firm attachment of the long process of the incus was achieved. The band-shaped loops showed a better contact with the incus than did the wire loops. However, the broad spiral-shaped loops led to a loss of the perpendicular axis of the piston to the long incus process.


CONCLUSIONS
The geometry of the loop affects the final length of the piston in the vestibule and its angle to the long process of the incus.
Kwok
Pingling
P
Ear, Nose and Throat Department, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
Fisch
Ugo
U
Strutz
Jürgen
J
D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007188:Incus / Q000601:surgery; D009998:Ossicular Prosthesis; D010040:Otosclerosis / Q000601:surgery*; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D017755:Prosthesis Fitting; D013201:Stapes Surgery / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013525:Surgical Instruments