Titanium versus nontitanium prostheses in ossiculoplasty.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the hearing outcomes and complications observed using either titanium or nontitanium prostheses in a 7-year consecutive series of ossiculoplasties performed by a single surgeon.


METHODS
Retrospective.


METHODS
: A database of ossicular reconstruction surgeries was reviewed for preoperative and postoperative audiometric data including air and bone conduction thresholds at four frequencies and speech reception thresholds. Outcomes were evaluated at time points less than and greater than 6 months postoperatively. Baseline demographic and surgical characteristics and postoperative complications were also noted.


RESULTS
A total of 105 cases had sufficient audiometric data available for analysis, including 80 performed with titanium and 25 with nontitanium implants. Follow-up ranged from 1.2 to 74.2 months, with a mean of 14.9 months. Mean air-bone gap at initial follow-up was 21.7 dB in the nontitanium group and 15.4 dB in the titanium group; this difference was significant (P = .01). Postoperative air-bone gap of less than 20 dB at initial follow-up was achieved in 50.0% of nontitanium cases and 77.1% of titanium cases (P = .012). This difference in "success" rates persisted at longer follow-up but did not achieve statistical significance. Mean speech reception thresholds at <6 months was 29.7 dB in the nontitanium group and 22.6 dB in the titanium group (P = .049). Extrusion was observed with two nontitanium prostheses (8.0%) and three titanium prostheses (3.8%) (P > .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Titanium ossicular prostheses provide hearing outcomes superior to those of nontitanium prostheses when evaluated within 6 months after ossiculoplasty.
Coffey
Charles S
CS
Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, USA.
Lee
Fu-Shing
FS
Lambert
Paul R
PR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001299:Audiometry; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009998:Ossicular Prosthesis; D019933:Ossicular Replacement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014025:Titanium; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014025:Titanium