■ OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the hearing results of stapes surgery with two different titanium stapes prostheses. A crimping and a noncrimping prosthesis.

■ METHODS: Retrospective analyses were carried out on the preand postoperative hearing results obtained after 126 primary stapedotomies with two different prostheses inpatients with otosclerosis. 63 patients had a stapedotomy with a K-pistonTitanium No.1006107) type and 63 patients received a CliP-piston àWengen Titanium (No.1006807) type after stapedotomy. The results were compared according to mean audiometrical parameters. A Chi-square Test analysis (a contingency table) was performed with odds ratio to analyse this retrospective case-control study.

■ RESULTS: The hearing results of both titanium stapes prostheses were comparable. There was no difference in thefinal hearing results between the two pistons studied. No statistically significant difference between the postoperative air-bone gap closures by the two titanium stapes prostheses studied could be demonstrated.

■ CONCLUSIONS: Because of the different properties of the two titanium pistons studied (CliP-piston àWengen Titanium type –no crimping and K-piston Titanium crimping necessary) a difference in the closure of the air-bone gap could be suspected. This comparative study could not demonstrate a statistical better air-bone gap closure for one of the titanium pistons. Both stapes prostheses showed good results in reconstruction of the hearing loss due to otosclerosis.