Osteoradionecrosis of tympanic bone: reconstruction of outer ear canal with pedicled skin flap, combined with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, in five patients.

What Researchers Did

Researchers prospectively evaluated a one-stage surgical repair using a postauricular, inferiorly pedicled skin flap combined with pre- and post-operative hyperbaric oxygen therapy in five patients with osteoradionecrosis of the outer ear canal.

What They Found

Intact canal skin was achieved in four of the five patients (80%) after the combined surgical and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. One patient required a second operation for a small remaining area of bare bone, and another experienced unsatisfactory wound healing with persistent bare bone.

Canadian Relevance

This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was conducted outside of Canada.

Study Limitations

A significant limitation of this study is its very small sample size of five patients, which limits the generalizability of the findings and the ability to definitively prove the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen.