158 / 264
of Rajan et al. (8). No subjects undergoing incus or stapes
vibroplasty experienced any postoperative complications.
Coupling Measurements
The relation of vibroplasty thresholds and bone con-
duction thresholds is shown in Figure 2.
Patients with a soft tissue coupler between the FMT
and the RW had significantly reduced coupling efficiency
as analyzed by a Mann-Whitney
U
test (
p
G
0.05) when
compared to all other coupling configurations. When the
round window direct placement group’s coupling effi-
ciency was compared to that of the round window fascia
group, the difference was significant (
p
G
0.05). When the
average of the combined RW application groups (both
direct contact subjects and fascia interposed subjects) was
compared to the stapes vibroplasty, the coupling for the
stapes vibroplasty was significantly better (
p
G
0.05). There
was also a difference, though not significant (
p
= 0.08),
between the round window direct and the stapes vibroplasty
groups with the stapes group demonstrating the trend for
FIG. 3.
Vibroplasty of the 16 patients across the different frequencies. Patients with stapes and incus coupling as well as those with direct
coupling have below average functions reflecting better coupling efficiency. The underlying assumption is that data points below the re-
gression line are indicative of ‘‘good’’ coupling.
DOES COUPLING & POSITIONING IN VIBROPLASTY MATTER?
Otology & Neurotology, Vol. 36, No. 7, 2015
137