Abstract
Objective: To ascertain if wideband acoustic immitance (WAI) measurements are useful in assessing crimping status following stapedotomy. Design: WAI measurements were obtained using the Mimosa Acoustics HearID system. Wideband chirp sound stimuli and a set of tone stimuli for nine frequencies between 0.2 and 6 kHz were used at 60 dB SPL. Five sets of measurements were performed on each temporal bone: mobile stapes, stapes fixation and stapedotomy followed by insertion of a tightly crimped, a loosely crimped and an uncrimped prosthesis. Study sample: Eight fresh-frozen temporal bones were harvested from human cadaveric donors. Results: At lower frequencies, up to 1 kHz, stapes fixation decreased absorbance. Compared to the baseline absorbance, absorbance with stapes fixation dropped by 6 to 17% in absolute terms from the baseline value (p = 0.027). Absorbance was not affected in higher frequencies (p = 0.725). Stapedotomy changed the absorbance curve significantly compared to the normal condition with an increase of absolute absorbance values by 6 to 36% around 0.25–1 kHz (p-value <0.01). The crimping conditions did not differ from one another (p = 0.555). Conclusion: WAI is not useful in distinguishing between tightly crimped, loosely crimped and uncrimped stapes prostheses following stapedotomy.
Highlights
Five sets of measurements were performed on each temporal bone: mobile stapes, stapes fixation and stapedotomy followed by insertion of a tightly crimped, a loosely crimped and an uncrimped prosthesis
Our results are in agreement with numerous studies that have shown that stapes fixation increases power reflectance at frequencies lower than 1 kHz, indicating increased stiffness in the middle ear system (Shahnaz et al, 2009a; Shahnaz et al, 2009b; Nakajima et al, 2012)
The mean power reflectance in ears with stapes fixation may be statistically different from normal ears, but it may not be possible to distinguish one individual pathological ear from normal based on power reflectance (Nakajima et al, 2013)
Summary
Five sets of measurements were performed on each temporal bone: mobile stapes, stapes fixation and stapedotomy followed by insertion of a tightly crimped, a loosely crimped and an uncrimped prosthesis. Five sets of measurements were performed: (1) normal condition (mobile stapes), (2) stapes fixation and stapedotomy followed by insertion of a (3) tightly crimped prosthesis, (4) a loosely crimped prosthesis, and (5) a prosthesis that is not crimped at all.
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