Handling an Isolated Malleus Handle Fracture

Bone cement repair of malleus handle fractures: Intraoperative video and case report of two patients

Isolated malleus fractures are a rare occurrence with few reported cases in the literature. Symptoms include sudden otalgia, hearing loss, tinnitus and aural fullness. Work-up and diagnosis are based on a combination of thorough anamnesis and careful otoscopic evaluation or high-resolution computer tomography. We present two cases of isolated malleus handle fractures who were diagnosed based on a combination of pneumatic otoscopy and tympanometry. Both fractures were surgically repaired using hydroxyapatite bone cement as showcased in the supplemental video material. Post-operative audiometry showed improvement in the pure-tone-average of both patients as well as normalisation of tympanometry. Isolated malleus fracture should be suspected in cases of sudden hearing loss and tinnitus following digital manipulation of the outer ear canal together with a conductive hearing loss with a mostly high-frequent air-bone-gap and hypercompliant tympanometry with hypermobility of the tympanic membrane on pneumatic insufflation. Surgical repair of the fracture using bone cement has good hearing outcomes and leads to improvement in auditory symptoms.

The TORP-PORP: A Tympanoplasty Technique for Isolated Defects of the Stapes Suprastructure

OBJECTIVE

Investigating the outcomes of a surgical approach to treat isolated defects of the stapes suprastructure, using a modified total ossicular replacement prosthesis (TORP) prosthesis as a PORP between the footplate and the incus, effectively creating a TORP-PORP configuration.

PATIENTS

Eleven patients (mean age, 37.2 years; 36% male and 64% female) between the years 2007 and 2022.

INTERVENTIONS

Therapeutic (ossiculoplasty).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Hearing gain (in dB) in air conduction thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 4 kHz, stability of bone conduction, revision rate.

RESULTS

Significant improvement in air conduction between the preoperative and the postoperative cohorts (p = 0.002) with a mean postoperative hearing level of 30.00 ± 5.25 dB. The bone conduction remained stable. We encountered no perioperative complications, and there were no revisions surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

The described ossiculoplasty procedure is a safe and effective approach to treat isolated defects of the stapes suprastructure.

Isolated Fracture of the Malleus: An Overlooked Cause of Conductive Hearing Loss?

OBJECTIVE

To report the largest case series of isolated malleus fractures with systematic review to characterize the disease's presentation and natural history, and provide suggestions for management.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library.

REVIEW METHODS

Retrospective cohort study was performed on 12 patients with isolated malleus fractures. History, physical exam, pre- and post-treatment audiograms, and imaging were obtained. Systematic review of the literature was performed.

RESULTS

Including the cases herein, 58 isolated malleus fractures were identified, the majority of which were published in the 21st century. Mean time to presentation after injury was 34.4 months. Most common etiology was external auditory canal (EAC) manipulation. Physical exam and imaging did not identify any abnormality at presentation in 16% and 21% of cases, respectively. The majority of fractures involved the manubrium. Air-bone gap (ABG) at initial presentation ranged from 16 to 26 dB, and was greater at higher frequencies. Thirty-six cases underwent surgery. ABG improvement was greater at all frequencies for those who underwent surgery. Final ABG was significantly less than initial ABG at nearly every frequency for those who underwent surgery (p < 0.05), while not at any frequency for those who were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Isolated malleus fractures may occur more often than historical data suggests, and are perhaps underdiagnosed. Abrupt removal of a finger from the EAC with pain and hearing loss is nearly pathognomonic. Conductive hearing loss with ABG greater at higher frequencies is most often observed. Observation is unlikely to produce spontaneous improvements in hearing, while surgery demonstrates reliable decreases in ABG. Laryngoscope, 134:1032-1041, 2024.

Forces Required for Isolated Malleus Shaft Fractures

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS

Isolated malleus shaft fractures are rare cases. A commonly reported cause is a finger pulled out from a wet outer ear canal after a shower or bath. The objective was to investigate experimentally the mechanism and forces needed to establish an isolated malleus shaft fracture.

METHODS

Ten fresh-frozen human temporal bones were adapted to allow visual inspection of the structures involved while negative pressure trauma was applied. Thirty malleus bones were broken and the required forces were measured. Measurements from 60 adult test subjects were used to create mathematical and physical models to calculate and measure the forces necessary for generating trauma. To calculate the maximum muscle force developed by the tensor tympani muscle, the muscle area and fiber type composition were determined.

RESULTS

The temporal bone experiments showed that applied negative pressure in a wet ear canal could not fracture the malleus shaft with only passive counterforce from supporting structures, although the forces exceeded what was required for a malleus shaft fracture. When adding calculated counteracting forces from the tensor tympani muscles, which consisted of 87% type II fibers, we estimate that a sufficient force is generated to cause a malleus fracture.

CONCLUSION

The combination of a negative pressure created by a finger pulling outward in a wet ear canal and a simultaneous counteracting reflexive force by the tensor tympani muscle were found to be sufficient to cause an isolated malleus fracture with an intact tympanic membrane.

[Isolated malleus handle fracture: cases report and literature review]

The isolated malleus handle and neck fractures are rare pathology which demands detailed diagnosis and individual treatment plan in every case. Sometimes it could heal without surgery, but in most part of cases surgical treatment is indicated. The short literature review and 2 clinical cases of this pathology are presented in this article. We describe our own variants of surgery repair with autologous cartilage with good results.

Isolated Malleus Fracture from Sneezing: A Case Report

Isolated malleus fractures are an infrequent cause of hearing loss. Even more unusual is a fracture secondary to a sneeze. Here, we review the case of a 32-year-old man with the first surgically confirmed malleus fracture due to a suppressed sneeze, which was then successfully repaired with hydroxyapatite bone cement. We discuss the presentation, diagnosis, and management of this patient and review the literature on isolated malleus injuries.

Isolated Traumatic Fracture of the Malleus Handle Causing Hearing Fluctuation

INTRODUCTION

Handle of malleus fracture is a rare condition with <100 cases having been reported. The clinical presentation is conductive hearing loss following a history of trauma, typically, during manipulation of the external auditory canal. The diagnosis of the condition is clinical and radiological. The options for treatment are either a hearing aid or ossiculoplasty. We describe an isolated case of malleus handle fracture after trauma associated with manipulation of the external auditory canal.

CASE REPORT

A 56-year-old female, reported a right ear trauma. She suffered immediate otalgia, hearing loss and nonpulsatile tinnitus. An indistinct umbo was identified on endoscopic inspection and a hypermobile right tympanic membrane during Valsalva. Clinical testing of hearing revealed a mild-to-moderate conductive hearing loss. Computed Tomography scan revealed a fracture of the right malleus handle. A decision for surgical treatment was made based on continuing symptomatology as well as audiology and CT findings. A tragal composite cartilage graft was harvested and placed over the remaining superior part of the malleus and under the inferior fragment of the malleus attached to the tympanic membrane. The patient had immediate improvement of fluctuating hearing loss and tinnitus in the postoperative period.

CONCLUSION

A fracture of the malleus handle should be included in the etiologies of conductive hearing loss after trauma. A careful history, thorough otology examination, and a meticulous analysis of the CT will usually confirm this rare condition and exclude other ossicular abnormalities.

Bilateral Fracture of the Handle Malleus: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Malleus fracture is a rare condition. Usually, the handle of the malleus is involved, and we do not find reports in the literature of this condition in the bilateral presentation. It is present as sudden conductive hearing loss commonly after digital manipulation of the external auditory canal. The diagnosis is based principally on clinical examination by otomicroscopy and audiometry. Cone-beam computed tomography emerging as a powerful tool in the field of otolaryngology, especially for explorations of paranasal sinuses and temporal bone, due to imaging with a high resolution and few artifacts with lower dose radiation in comparison with multislice computed tomography.

Ossiculoplasty on Isolated Malleus Fractures: A Human Temporal Bone Study Using Laser Doppler Vibrometry

HYPOTHESIS

In the literature several surgical methods have been reported that aim to improve hearing in patients with isolated malleus fractures; however, it is still not clear which method gives the best results.

BACKGROUND

In this study, laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV) was used to compare the outcome of different surgical methods on malleus fractures in fresh frozen human temporal bones.

METHODS

Fractured malleus shafts of defrosted human temporal bones were repaired with bone cement, with a malleus prosthesis from cortical bone, or with a partial ossicular replacement prosthesis (PORP) from cortical bone, and LDV measurements were obtained for analysis.

RESULTS

The best result was achieved with the bone cement only, applied directly at the site of the fracture. The malleus prosthesis and the PORP gave similar results.

CONCLUSION

All three surgical methods gave good results, but when the distal end of the fractured malleus can be attached close to the proximal end, the technique using only cement tends to be the best option. If the parts are too far apart, a malleus prosthesis or a PORP would be good options.

Post traumatic deafness: a pictorial review of CT and MRI findings

Hearing loss is a common functional disorder after trauma, and radiologists should be aware of the ossicular, labyrinthine or brain lesions that may be responsible. After a trauma, use of a systematic approach to explore the main functional components of auditory pathways is essential. Conductive hearing loss is caused by the disruption of the conductive chain, which may be due to ossicular luxation or fracture. This pictorial review firstly describes the normal 2-D and 3-D anatomy of the ossicular chain, including the incudo-malleolar and incudo-stapedial joints. The role of 3-D CT in the post-traumatic evaluation of injury to the temporal bone is then evaluated. In the case of sensorineural hearing loss, CT can detect pneumolabyrinth and signs of perilymphatic fistulae but fails to detect subtle lesions within the inner ear, such as labyrinthine haemorrhage or localized brain axonal damage along central auditory pathways. The role that MRI with 3-D-FLAIR acquisition plays in the detection of inner ear haemorrhage and post-traumatic lesions of the brain parenchyma that may lead to auditory agnosia is also discussed.

KEY POINTS

• The most common middle ear injuries are incudo-malleolar and incudo-stapedial joint luxation. • In patients with SNHL, CT can detect pneumolabyrinth or perilymphatic fistula • 3-D-FLAIR MRI appears the best sequence to highlight labyrinthine haemorrhage • Axonal damage and brain hematoma may lead to deafness.