Middle-Ear Implants
Many people have hearing loss caused by disease or damage of the tiny bones(ossicles) that transmit sound vibrations from the ear drum to the inner ear. Plastic and metal replacements for these parts were tried without success, they either failed to bond to the ear drum or were attacked by the body and coated with fibrous tissue, which kept the sound waves from getting through. Then, US. Biomaterials, of Alachua, Florida, successfully used Bioglass developed by Larry Hench at the University of Florida. The Bioglass bonded to both soft and hard tissue and wasn't rejected by the patient's body. Thanks to a recent modification, surgical teams can now shape Bioglass implants during surgery to the precise contours of the ear.