Fatigue analysis of tympanic membrane after ossiculoplasty

Abstract

Conclusion: A tentative conclusion was made that the finite element method can be used to investigate the fatigue life of the tympanic membrane after ossiculoplasty; the main reason of the extrusion of the tympanic membrane may not be blamed to the fatigue mechanism under normal sound pressure.

Objective: This study was to investigate the extrusion of the prosthesis from the tympanic membrane at post-ossiculoplasty by finite element method.

Methods: A finite element model of the human middle ear has been constructed and used as the model of the constructed middle ear at post-ossiculoplasty. Then the fatigue life of the tympanic membrane was calculated under different sound pressure level using this model.

Results: The tympanic membrane would not be extruded under normal sound pressure level. The sound pressure level which caused the tympanic membrane to crack in less than 3 years was higher than 145.17 dB (362.5 Pa).

Keywords:

• Ossiculoplasty
• fatigue
• finite element analysis
• stress

Acknowledgments

This study was founded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the foundation number is 81170910; and the Youth Science Foundation of Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University, the foundation number is 2016ZSQN43. The authors are indebted to helpful establishment of the model with Professor Jianhua Wang at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This study was founded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the foundation number is 81170910; and the Youth Science Foundation of Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University, the foundation number is 2016ZSQN43. The authors are indebted to helpful establishment of the model with Professor Jianhua Wang at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.