[The results of stapedoplasty with the use of an auricular autocartilage as a stapes bone prosthesis in the patients presenting with a mixed form of otosclerosis].

The authors present immediate and long-term results of stapedoplasty with the use of an auricular autocartilage as a stapes bone prosthesis in 52 patients presenting with mixed (types I and II) otosclerosis. The surgical procedure is described in considerable detail. The average bone-conduction auditory threshold was shown to slightly increase depending on the duration of the disease (less than and over 15 years): by 5 dB and 9 dB in mixed otosclerosis of types I and II respectively. Mean values of the bone-conduction auditory threshold before and after surgery were not significantly different depending on the localization of otosclerotic foci in patients with the mixed (types I and II) disease (affecting the annular ligament and the base of the stapes bone in 20 patients; annular ligament, base of the stapes, and promontory in 32 ones). The average bone-air gap (BAG) in the early and late observation periods did not exceed 10 dB in either form of otosclerosis which suggests high efficacy of the surgical treatment given to the patients in the present study.