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Evaluation of the stapedial tendon growth dynamic in human fetuses

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Abstract

Purpose

The main objective of the study was to investigate the morphometric properties of the stapedial tendon (ST) for pediatric otosurgeons and anatomists.

Methods

The present study was placed on 15 fetuses (8 females, 7 males) aged from 20 to 30 weeks of gestation (at mean, 24.27 ± 3.24 weeks) using the collection of the Anatomy Department of Medicine Faculty, Mersin University. All measurements were obtained with a digital image analysis software.

Results

In terms of male/female or right/left comparisons, no statistically significant difference was found in relation with the numerical data of ST. The surface area, length, and width of ST were detected as follows: 0.61 ± 0.15 mm2, 1.27 ± 0.30 mm, and 0.45 ± 0.08 mm, respectively. The absence of ST was observed in two fetuses with and without severe malformations. In another fetus with cleft lip and polydactyly, multiple abnormalities were bilaterally identified in the middle ear: (1) the absence of the incudostapedial joint and (2) the presence of an abnormal tissue attaching to the stapes. The abnormal tissue was determined to be irregular dense connective tissue using light microscope and electron microscope.

Conclusion

Our findings showed that ST did not proportionally grow according to increasing gestational weeks. In the light of the numerical data, we thought that similar to stapes, ST attains the adult size in the fetal period. As ST anomalies may accompany severe malformations (e.g., cleft lip, polydactyly or syndactyly) that can be easily detected on observation by clinicians, we suggest that the detailed examination of middle ear in newborns should be taken into account for early diagnosis of conductive hearing loss to prevent any management delays.

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Acknowledgement

Deniz Ladin Özdemir, Fatma Müdüroğlu, Diana Georgiana Cintacioiu and Hong Thai Le participated to this study as visiting students.

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin University, Ciftlikkoy Campus, 33343, Mersin, Turkey

    Orhan Beger, Turan Koç & Zeliha Kurtoğlu Olgunus

  2. Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey

    Meryem İlkay Karagül & Şakir Necat Yılmaz

  3. Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul Okan University, İstanbul, Turkey

    Deniz Ladin Özdemir

  4. Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, İstanbul, Turkey

    Fatma Müdüroğlu

  5. Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania

    Diana Georgiana Cintacioiu

  6. Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

    Hong Thai Le

  7. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey

    Yusuf Vayisoğlu & Derya Ümit Talas

Authors
  1. Orhan Beger
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  2. Turan Koç
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  3. Meryem İlkay Karagül
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  4. Deniz Ladin Özdemir
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  5. Fatma Müdüroğlu
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  6. Diana Georgiana Cintacioiu
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  7. Hong Thai Le
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  8. Yusuf Vayisoğlu
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  9. Şakir Necat Yılmaz
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  10. Zeliha Kurtoğlu Olgunus
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  11. Derya Ümit Talas
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Contributions

OB, TK, MİK, ŞNY, YV, DÜT, ZKO: Project development, Data collection, Data analysis, Manuscript writing, Manuscript editing. DLÖ, FM, DGC, HTL: Project development, Data collection, Manuscript writing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Orhan Beger.

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Beger, O., Koç, T., Karagül, M.İ. et al. Evaluation of the stapedial tendon growth dynamic in human fetuses. Surg Radiol Anat 41, 833–839 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-019-02237-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-019-02237-4

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