TEMPORALIS muscle fascia has proven to be an excellent material for tympanic membrane grafting.1-7 Ninety-seven percent of our fascia tympanic membrane grafts in the last three years have been successful as compared with 92% of canal skin grafts.*
What are the inherent tissue characteristics which account for the high survival rate of fascia grafts? Is fascia, as used in grafting, "living" tissue, or simply a substrate for healing processes? What is the ultimate fate of fascia when implanted in the ear? Can a dense connective tissue "middle layer" be identified in tympanic membranes months after grafts are applied?
In an attempt to answer these questions and to correlate healing of fascia grafts with basic information regarding wound-healing, tissue culture and animal grafting studies were carried out.
Fascia Grafting Technique
A brief description of the grafting technique used by members of the Otologic Medical Group3 in humans will clarify