title: Effects of the fibers distribution in the human eardrum: A biomechanical study.
abstract: The eardrum separates the external ear from the middle ear and it is responsible to convert the acoustical energy into mechanical energy. It is divided by pars tensa and pars flaccida. The aim of this work is to analyze the susceptibility of the four quadrants of the pars tensa under negative pressure, to different lamina propria fibers distribution. The development of associated ear pathology, in particular the formation of retraction pockets, is also evaluated. To analyze these effects, a computational biomechanical model of the tympano-ossicular chain was constructed using computerized tomography images and based on the finite element method. Three fibers distributions in the eardrum middle layer were compared: case 1 (eardrum with a circular band of fibers surrounding all quadrants equally), case 2 (eardrum with a circular band of fibers that decreases in thickness in posterior quadrants), case 3 (eardrum without circular fibers in the posterior/superior quadrant). A static analysis was performed by applying approximately 3000Pa in the eardrum. The pars tensa of the eardrum was divided in four quadrants and the displacement of a central point of each quadrant analyzed. The largest displacements of the eardrum were obtained for the eardrum without circular fibers in the posterior/superior quadrant.
authors.affiliation: LAETA, INEGI - Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Clínica ORL - Dr. Eurico Almeida, Widex, ESTSP, Portugal. Electronic address: fernanda.fgnanda@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gentil
authors.affiliation: LAETA, INEGI - Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parente
authors.affiliation: LAETA, INEGI - Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: LAETA, INEGI - Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garbe
authors.affiliation: LAETA, INEGI - Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: LAETA, INEGI - Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Areias
authors.affiliation: Hospital CUF Infante Santo, Hospital Vila Franca de Xira, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas de Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Branco
authors.affiliation: Hospital CUF, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Paço
authors.affiliation: LAETA, INEGI - Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Renato Natal
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Jorge
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D006801:Humans; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D008954:Models, Biological; D011312:Pressure; D014432:Tympanic Membrane
keywords: Biomechanics; Eardrum fibers; Eardrum quadrants; Finite element method