title: Randomized study comparing fascia and cartilage grafts in myringoplasty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study compares the medium-term outcomes of myringoplasty procedures using fascia and cartilage grafts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with chronic otitis media with perforations larger than 50% of the size of the tympanic membrane were included in a randomized, controlled, prospective clinical trial. The perforations were repaired with either temporalis fascia (20 ears) or cartilage (18 ears) grafts selected randomly. A search of the literature was performed to look for other randomized studies comparing fascia and cartilage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The graft take rates of fascia and cartilage grafts at 24 months were 84.2% and 80%, respectively. The postoperative air-bone gaps and hearing gains at 24 months were 16.97 dB and 13.63 dB, respectively, in the fascia group and 20.63 dB and 12.60 dB, respectively, in the cartilage group. There was no significant difference in the graft take rates or postoperative hearing between the two groups. The literature search identified one other randomized study comparing fascia and cartilage grafts in the repair of large perforations. The pooled data from the two studies did not show a difference in the graft take rates or hearing gains between cartilage and fascia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no statistical difference in the outcomes of fascia and cartilage grafts in the repair of large perforations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, The Ipswich Hospital National Health Service Trust, Ipswich, England.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yung
authors.forename: Senthilnathan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vivekanandan
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002356:Cartilage / Q000637:transplantation*; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005205:Fascia / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009225:Myringoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000150:complications; D020127:Recovery of Function; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018058:Tympanic Membrane Perforation / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult