[Are titanium implants superior to gold implants in the tympanic cavity?].

BACKGROUND

Gold implants in reconstructive surgery of the middle ear have proved to work sufficiently: That applies to tympanic cavity conditions without signs of chronic inflammation as also to the bacterially infected middle ear. For some years titanium implants are also in the use and established as well. The biocompatibility of titanium, the clinical and the audiological results are satisfactory. When using gold-prostheses in stapes surgery however, the still unsolved problem of occasional deafness has to be considered.

PATIENTS

The clinical and functional results of middle ear surgery were examined retrospectively. There was no preselection of patients. 53 patients underwent middle ear surgery with titanium prostheses, 42 patients with gold prostheses.

RESULTS

Due to their material properties and due to their delicate shape titanium prostheses (PORP, TORP) can be inserted into the tympanic cavity more simply and with better fit. The audiological results of gold and titanium prostheses are comparable. The extruding rate of the gold prostheses is substantial, whereas the extruding rate of titanium is negligible.

CONCLUSION

The functional results of both materials are comparable. Due to the high extruding rates of gold prostheses titanium is clearly superior.