Tympanoplasty of the middle ear with a retraction pocket: recommendations based on the modal finite element analysis

S. Bosiakov, G. Mikhasev, K. Yurkevich, R. Springhetti, L. Petrova, M. Maisyuk

Abstract: The aim of this study is to formulate recommendations intended for the surgeons treating retraction pockets of the tympanic membrane to improve hearing. The FEM analysis is carried out in order to compute and compare the natural frequencies of the oscillatory systems for normal, diseased and reconstructed middle ear after tympanoplasty. In the finite-element modelling simulation, the diseased eardrum with a retraction pocket is treated as a nonhomogeneous shell with elastic properties varying in the region of the retraction pocket. The geometric dimensions of the cartilage graft for the tympanic membrane are assessed to generate the same acoustic conditions corresponding to the normal middle ear. The outcomes of this paper may be employed to estimate the optimal thickness of the cartilage graft for the reconstruction of a diseased eardrum with a retraction pocket.

Series on Biomechanics, Vol.33, No. 4(2019), 17 - 23

Keywords: cartilage graft; eigenfrequency; finite element analysis; Middle ear; retraction pocket; tympanic membrane

Date published: 2019-12-21