Comparison of healing of acute total tympanic membrane perforation between rats with and without excision of the mallear handle

Objective: We compared the histological changes and hearing restoration during the healing of acute total tympanic membrane (TM) perforations between Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats with and without excision of the mallear handle.Materials and methods: Bilateral, acute, and total TM perforations were created in 36 male SD rats. The mallear handle was preserved in the left ear (handle-preserved ear [HPE]) and excised from the right ear (handle-excised ear [HEE]). Endoscopical examination, auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds, histopathological, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis were performed.Results: Endoscopic photographs showed that all perforations in the 18 SD rats were closed. The mean closure times were 6.83 +/- 0.85 and 8.50 +/- 0.71 days in the HPE and HEE groups, respectively (p < .001). SEM images showed radial arrangement of fiber bundles in a single direction in HPEs, although normal arrangement was not achieved. In contrast, HEEs showed disorganized arrangement. At 1 month after perforation closure, the ABR thresholds at high frequencies were significantly higher in the HEE group than in the HPE group (p = .029 and p = .017 for 16 and 32 kHz, respectively). Additionally, the changes in ABR threshold were significantly different at high frequencies (p = .011 and p = .017 for 16 and 32 kHz, respectively) before and 1 month after perforation closure between the HPE and HEE groups, although the differences were not statistically significant at the remaining frequencies.Conclusion: Although the malleus handle may not affect the closure of total perforation in SD rats, it contributes to accelerate the perforation closure by possible guide the migration of proliferative epithelial cell on the upper halves of the annulus. Additionally, resection of the malleus handle impairs high frequency hearing recovery following spontaneous closure of the TM.