Allograft stapes-incus assembly. A new ossiculoplasty.

In 45 patients with absence of the stapedial arch, including 24 with a history of radical surgery and without ossicles, the head of an allograft stapes was placed on the patient's footplate and on top of this an incus body, either as allograft or autograft. The results of this assembly, judging by different methods of analysis, are the same as in 45 ears having approximately the same pathologic condition treated by an autograft or allograft incus as the columella between the footplate and eardrum. The allograft stapes-incus assembly is an alternative method to the commonly used incudal columella, particularly in patients previously subjected to radical surgery in whom all ossicles are absent.