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Vibroplasty involving direct coupling of the floating mass transducer to the oval window niche

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 April 2010

T Zehlicke ,
R Dahl ,
T Just  and
H-W Pau
T Zehlicke
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Military Hospital, Hamburg, Germany Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Rostock, Germany
R Dahl
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Rostock, Germany
T Just
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Rostock, Germany
H-W Pau*
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Rostock, Germany
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Hans-Wilhelm Pau, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Rostock, Doberaner Strasse 137–139, 18057 Rostock, Germany. Phone: ++49 (0)381 4948301 Fax: ++49 (0)381 4948302 E-mail: hans-wilhelm.pau@med.uni-rostock.de
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Abstract

Objective:

To demonstrate the technique and clinical application of vibroplasty in which the floating mass transducer component of the Vibrant Soundbridge implant is coupled directly to the oval window niche, in patients with a mobile stapes footplate but a malformed or destroyed stapes suprastructure.

Methods:

The underlying concept was to create a soft tissue casing for the floating mass transducer, while also firmly connecting the transducer to a small, solid cartilage ‘plunger’ attached to the stapes footplate. This was realised by removing almost all the cartilage from a larger piece of cartilage–perichondrium, leaving only a tiny cartilage island about half a millimetre in diameter, attached to a much wider ‘blanket’ of perichondrium.

Results:

By coupling the floating mass transducer directly to the oval window niche, patients' speech understanding was improved. Post-operative aided thresholds of 30–40 dB HL were achieved by all patients.

Conclusions:

In patients with mixed hearing loss combined with a destroyed stapes suprastructure but a mobile stapes footplate, we describe the coupling of the floating mass transducer component of a Vibrant Soundbridge to the stapes footplate, as an alternative to coupling to the round window.

Keywords

Implants And ProsthesesMiddle EarFloating mass transducerDeafness
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 124 , Issue 7 , July 2010 , pp. 716 - 719
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2010

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