Conductive Hearing Loss with Age-A Histologic and Audiometric Evaluation.

ABSTRACT: A retrospective analysis to quantify age-related changes of the incudo-malleolar joint (IMJ) and incudo-stapedial joint (ISJ), and to analyse changes in the air-bone gap (ABG) with age, was performed. Defined histologic parameters of 153 IMJ and 106 ISJ from subjects aged from birth to 70 years were correlated to age. Additionally, audiograms of 1760 ears of 974 other subjects aged 20 to 80 years were retrospectively analysed and the ABG was correlated to age. The joint space (age group from 0 to 10 compared to 61 to 70 years) became significantly wider with age (IMJ: from a mean of 44 µm to 100 µm, p < 0.001; ISJ: from a mean of 28 µm to 69 µm, p < 0.009. The thickness of cartilage of the incus decreased in the first 20 years of life (IMJ, from a mean of 88 µm to 65 µm, p < 0.01; ISJ: fro

SUBMITTER: Dobrev I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8198280 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature