Faculty Collaboration Database

Cadaver middle ears as models for living ears: comparisons of middle ear input immittance. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 1990 May;99(5 Pt 1):403-12

Date

05/01/1990

Pubmed ID

2337320

DOI

10.1177/000348949009900515

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0025351787 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   116 Citations

Abstract

In vitro measurements of the middle ear input immittance in temporal bones extracted from human cadavers were directly compared with similar in vivo measurements from clinically normal subjects. The results of this comparison indicate that most otoscopically normal unfixed cadaver ears have middle ear input immittances that are indistinguishable from those of live subjects in the 0.1- to 2-kHz range--as long as they have been kept from drying and the static pressures on either side of the tympanic membrane are equal. The effects of the middle ear muscles on the measured input immittance are generally small and the cadaver ears can be maintained in the frozen state for several months with little change. Tympanometry appears to be a reliable indicator of normal middle ear immittance. Cadaver middle ears are useful models of human middle ear function.

Author List

Rosowski JJ, Davis PJ, Merchant SN, Donahue KM, Coltrera MD

Author

Kathleen M. Schmainda PhD Professor in the Biophysics department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Acoustic Impedance Tests
Age Factors
Animals
Biomechanical Phenomena
Cadaver
Cryopreservation
Death
Ear, Middle
Guinea Pigs
Humans
Male
Temporal Bone
Time Factors
Tissue Preservation