A biointegrated hydroxylapatite ventilation tube for definitive treatment of chronic eustachian tube obstruction.

Abstract

A dense hydroxylapatite ventilation tube has been designed for the purpose of providing prolonged ventilation of the middle ear. The tube is placed beneath the fibrous annulus of the eardrum, into a groove within the bony annulus and canal. The device takes advantage of the documented biocompatibility of hydroxylapatite to achieve biointegration with the soft tissues of the fibrous annulus, drum, and canal skin, as well as the bone of the deep ear canal. The tube does not appear to cause a foreign body reaction, and does not seem to extrude over time. The device is proposed for patients with unresolving eustachian tube obstruction who require a permanent tympanic stoma for normal middle ear function.