Effects of Tympanosclerosis on Middle Ear Sound Transmission:Finite Element Analysis
10.3969/j.issn.1006-7299.2025.01.007
- VernacularTitle:鼓室硬化对中耳传声影响的有限元分析
- Author:
Yi YU
1
;
Xinyue WANG
;
Jie LYU
;
Tianyu ZHANG
;
Liujie REN
Author Information
1. 上海健康医学院医疗器械学院(上海 201318)
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Tympanosclerosis;
Finite element;
Middle ear mechanics;
Transfer function;
Hearing loss
- From:
Journal of Audiology and Speech Pathology
2025;33(1):34-39
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To study the correlation between the middle ear transfer function and the tympanoscle-rosis locations and severities,via idealized finite element simulations of the fixation effects of different parts of the middle ear.Methods A finite element model was developed based on human middle ear histological data,and the air-conduction sound transmission was simulated for verification.Mimicking tympanosclerosis with different loca-tions by increasing the Young's modulus of related tissues,the changes in the middle ear transfer function under tympanic membrane,ligaments,and joint fixations were calculated.Results Limited hardening of eardrum did not influence the sound transmission(＜5 dB).Ligaments hardening(including the superior mallear ligament,superior incudal ligament,and the posterior incudal ligament)induced fixations of the ossicular chain and caused low-to-mid velocity drop down of the tympanic membrane umbo and the stapes footplate.The results indicated low-to-mid fre-quency hearing loss,about 40 dB when the ligaments were fully fixed.The sound transmission was not affected by incudomalleolar joint,a slightly high frequency improvement(0～6 dB)occurred when the incudostapedial joint got hardened.Significant low-to-mid frequency drop was found for the stapes footplate velocity in the case of otosclero-sis,while the velocity of tympanic membrane umbo was not significantly affected.Conclusion Tympanosclerosis in-fluences middle ear sound transferring by increasing the stiffness of the system,the effects are sensitive to tympano-sclerosis locations and severity.Moreover,as the hardened location approaches the stapes,the variations of tympan-ic membrane and stapes footplate movement can be quite different.
