Effect of Changes in Mass on Middle Ear Function

Vibrating systems such as the middle ear are affected by changes in mass. After disease or ear surgery, significant changes in mass may contribute positively or negatively to the postoperative hearing threshold. This article describes experiments in 15 human temporal bones of the addition or reduction of mass on the middle ear transfer function. Measurement of stapes and umbo vibration was performed using a Laser Doppler Vibrometer before and after the addition of different masses at several sites on the tympanic membrane (TM) and ossicular chain. The input was 61 pure tones swept from 147 to 19433 Hz at 80 dB SPL. The addition of mass onto the TM produced varying detrimental effects on sound transmission, depending on the location and amount of mass. The insertion of ventilation tubes, weighing 12 to 17 mg each, produced losses at 1.5 to 5.0 kHz compared with tympanotomy alone. Addition of mass to the umbo and malleus head produced a loss at mid and high frequencies, whereas addition of mass on the incus long process and stapes also produced a high-frequency decrease in stapes displacement. Reduction of TM mass by removal of the epithelium produced an increase, especially at 2.0 to 4.0 kHz.