Objective The purpose of this study is to evaluate our experience with endoscopic repair of ossicular discontinuity at the incudostapedial joint, with or without an intact stapes suprastructure, and present our hearing results. We classify results based on the causative pathology, the type of ossiculoplasty, and type of lesion. We demonstrate the ability to endoscopically place a total ossicula...

Classic theories of hearing have considered only a translational component (piston-like component) of the stapes motion as being the effective stimulus for cochlear activation and thus the sensation of hearing. Our previous study (Huber et al., 2008) qualitatively showed that rotational components around the long and short axes of the footplate (rocking-like components) lead to cochlear activat...

OBJECTIVE To introduce the endoscopic acoustic stapedial reflex (EASR) as a technique for assessing stapedial mobility in ears with chronic otitis media (COM). METHODS This prospective study was performed from February 2008 to February 2009, patients with COM presented to the Otology Clinic, King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were examined with a rigid ear en...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS To investigate whether endoscopic stapes surgery is safer and less invasive than conventional stapes surgery using an operating microscope. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective study. METHODS The subjects were 15 patients (15 ears) who underwent endoscopic stapes surgery for otosclerosis or congenital stapedial fixation. Another 35 patients (41 ears) in whom microscopic stapes s...

We surveyed the stapedial anatomy of Thrinaxodon liorhinus Seeley, 1894 and Galesaurus planiceps Owen, 1859, two iconic Early Triassic basal cynodonts. The complete characterization this bone analysis its morphological variability along ontogeny within each taxon were possible through study eleven elements nine 1859. Our results highlight notable qualitative quantitative differences among speci...

Stapes fractures without other ossicle problems are rare and ossicle problems due to explosion pressure are also rare. We describe a very rare case of stapes anterior crural fracture resulting from a land mine explosion. As this case suggests, a close examination of the ossicles is necessary during an exploration tympanotomy.

Scientists have marveled at the middle ear for centuries. The importance of the middle ear to hearing and the ease which with it may be damaged make an understanding of this system relevant to clinicians. The middle ear functions as a transformer, in which the motion of the stapes is the output and the sound pressure at the tympanic membrane is the input. Though much studied, the relationship b...