Tympanoplasty with island cartilage or temporalis fascia: a comparative study.
OBJECTIVE
To compare clinical and audiological outcomes of the type 1 tympanoplasties where conchal cartilage (island graft) and temporalis fascia were used as the graft material.


METHODS
In this retrospective study, the results of type 1 tympanoplasty operations (n = 50) in which cartilage and temporalis fascia were used for graft material were compared.


RESULTS
Pre- and postoperative otoscopic findings of both groups were similar (p > 0.05). Preoperatively, the pure tone averages (PTAs) and hearing thresholds of the fascia and cartilage groups were similar (p > 0.05). However, postoperatively, the PTAs and air-bone gap closure were better with temporalis fascia compared to cartilage grafting (p < 0.05). On frequency-specific comparisons, the pure tone thresholds at the frequencies of 0.5, 1 and 2 kHz recovered better with temporalis fascia compared to cartilage (p < 0.05). Although the pure tone recovery was better at 4 kHz with temporalis fascia, the difference between the groups were not significantly different (p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, in contrast to many reports in the literature, temporalis fascia grafting seems better in our study than grafting with conchal cartilage.
ENT Department, Ankara Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. kazimbozdemir@gmail.com
Kazım
K
Bozdemir
Ahmet
A
Kutluhan
Gökhan
G
Yalçıner
Behçet
B
Tarlak
Akif Sinan
AS
Bilgen
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D002648:Child; D005205:Fascia / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006309:Hearing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055171:Nasal Cartilages / Q000637:transplantation*; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D038781:Otoscopy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014433:Tympanoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult