REHABILITATION of children and adults with a loss of hearing due to middle ear malformations has entered a new phase in recent years. The key that has unlocked the door in many of these cases has been the development of the stapedectomy and the use of middle ear prosthetics. Deformed incomplete ossicular chains now have the opportunity to be rebuilt and hearing restored. Since children and teen-agers are those primarily involved, there is a special importance and gratification to this work.
Two groups of congenital problems exist: (1) those with a middle ear deformity plus the absence of the external auditory canal and auricle, and (2) those with a middle ear deformity, but with an intact tympanic membrane and auricle. The latter group are more common than had been realized and are the special consideration of this paper.
These congenital losses that have an intact eardrum, external auditory canal,