Functional hearing results of 87 patients operated on for middle ear tympanosclerosis between 1988 and 1996 at the ENT Department, Ospedale Civile, Venice, are presented. Hearing results were defined acording to the Committee on Hearing and Equilibrium Guidelines, and mean follow-up was 4.2 years (range 2-10 years). Various pathological and technical factors were analyzed in order to determine their influence on the functional results : size of the tympanic membrane perforation, fixation of the stapes with a mobile malleus, attic fixation of the malleus with mobile stapes, fixation of both malleus and stapes, atticotomy or attic "by pass", the presence of the malleus handle for ossiculoplasty. In cases with stapes fixation, mobilization was the procedure of choice. In the univariate analysis all the mentioned factors reached statistical significance. When analyzed by means of multiple logistic regression, the following factors were associated with good hearing results: mobile stapes, attic "by pass" and an available malleus handle for ossicular reconstruction.