Experience gained with the repair of the defects of the long process of the incus with ionomer cement in 35 patients is reported. The integrity of the reconstructed tympanic membrane and the four-frequency average of the air-bone gaps of the postoperative audiograms (best, most recent and at around 1 year) were evaluated. This 'physiological' reconstruction of the ossicular chain fulfilled our expectations in 40% of the patients (air-bone gap

A series of 785 bone grafts between the tympanic membrane and head of the stapes were performed between 1964 and 1998. Ears were divided into 'normal tympanic membrane', 'stage I' and 'stage II' groups, in which the averages of the last postoperative air-bone gaps were 13.2, 18.7 and 18.1 dB, respectively (revision operations included). In the same order 43%, 26% and 23% of the ears showed air-bone gaps equal to or smaller than 10 dB; 85%, 61% and 67% equal to or smaller than 20 dB. Failures specific to the bone columella necessitated nine revision operations (eight for osseous fixation and one for atrophy). There have been no extrusions so far. Although, in the light of the literature the results are acceptable there is room for improvement.

The objective of this study was to assess whether denudation of the auditory ossicle prior to the application of glass ionomer cement (GIC) durably strengthens the adhesion between bone and GIC. The tympanic bullas of 34 rabbits were opened bilaterally. The mucosa was removed from the lateral surface of the right-side incudi with a diamond burr, while the left-side incudi were left intact. GIC was then applied bilaterally to the lateral surface of the incudi of 30 of these rabbits which were subsequently killed 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 30, 60, 90, 180 or 365 days postoperatively. The 4 sham-operated animals were killed on day 1, 7, 30 or 365. The incudi were removed and processed for histological evaluation. On exploration, the cement was visible on the incus within the tympanic bulla in all 30 GIC-treated animals. During surgical removal, the GIC was separated from the incus in 3 ears. Histological examination further revealed separation in 5 ears after processing. All 8 separations occurred in the right (not denuded) ears, and at least 60 days postoperatively. The difference between the two sides in the number of separations was significant (p < 0.05). The initial inflammatory reaction elicited by the surgical trauma to the right-side ossicles had substantially decreased by day 7. No foreign body reaction was observed and the GIC became overgrown with mucosa by day 60. In conclusion, the GIC proved biocompatible, and preliminary denudation of the ossicle resulted in stronger and more durable bone-GIC adhesion.

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of the reconstruction of large ossicular chain defects with a combination of ionomer cement and an autogenous cortical bone graft. Different individual solutions are described if at least the handle of the malleus is present: restoration of a large defect of the long process of the incus, formation of the incus body and the long process, and replacement of the missing superstructure of the stapes with a short bone graft standing on the footplate. In a unique case, total reconstruction of the malleus handle was carried out. In further cases where the malleus and the incus were absent, the missing superstucture of the stapes was replaced by a bone graft fixed to the remnant of the anterior crus, supplemented with a cortical bone PORP. Between 1993 and 2005, 84 patients underwent middle ear operations with the use of ionomer cement. In 16 ears (9 males, 7 females), a combination of ionomer cement and autogenous cortical bone graft was used for ossicular reconstruction, with a documented follow-up of at least 6 months to 7 years. All operations were performed under general anesthesia. The components of the cement were mixed by hand and transferred to the bare bone surface with a curved needle. Complex structures were built up step by step. In seven cases, the tympanic membrane was simultaneously reconstructed. The postoperative air-bone gap was < 20 dB in 11/16, 68% of the cases. No columella rejection occurred. The reconstructed malleus handle is still intact, though the hearing has deteriorated. The audiological results are encouraging and a further prospective study is under design in order to analyze the efficacy of the combination of ionomer cement and an autogenous cortical bone graft for ossicular reconstruction. The simultaneous reconstruction of the superstructure of the stapes and the long process of the incus or the whole incus makes PORPs or TORPs superfluous, if at least the handle of the malleus is present.

The first author has been using an autogenous cortical bone columella to replace the stapes removed during stapedectomy since 1965. The audiograms of 21 of the 271 patients operated on with this method between 1965 and 1989 (i.e. 7.7% of the possible candidates) were available 20-35 (average 26.8) years postoperatively. The operation could be regarded as successful in 20 and unsuccessful in 1 patient in the long run. The audiological data are presented individually as averages of the values obtained at 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 kHz. The averaged data (n = 21): preoperative air conduction, 58.27; bone conduction, 24.46; and air-bone gap, 33.81 dB. Postoperative best air conduction, 19.07; bone conduction, 14.10; and air-bone gap, 4.97 dB. Postoperative recent air conduction, 45.77; bone conduction, 38.45; and air-bone gap, 7.32 dB. The best values were measured 1-8 (average 1.57) years postoperatively. In relation to the postoperative best value, the recent value of the air-bone gap had deteriorated by 2.35 dB, and that of the bone conduction by 24.35 dB. The small air-bone gap indicates that the deterioration of the hearing is mainly caused by the deterioration of the function of the inner ear and not by that of the conductive apparatus. The progression of the deterioration differs individually (0.3-1.6, average 0.93 dB/year) and accelerates with age. This finding seems to be a problem that does not depend on the operative technique. The data show that the autogenous bone columella ensures the same good and lasting results as the alloplastic solutions; moreover, there is no problem with the incus-prosthesis connection.