Incus Homografts in Cats

RECONSTRUCTION of the ossicular chain of the middle ear in humans is a major problem and taxes the resourcefulness of the otologist. The incus homograft is one possible approach to the problem; it is logical, accessible, and, we hope, beneficial to the selected patient. It is relatively uniform in size and shape and can be preserved for long periods without deterioration. The feasibility of autogenous incus transposition has been shown by many authors, both in experimental animals1and in humans. It has also been well documented that the transplantation of small homograft bones is well tolerated by host tissue, and eventually the homograft becomes living bone through the process described as "creeping substitution."2,3It was on this premise that we thought that the use of the homograft incus would be feasible. Procedure Twenty surgical procedures were performed on a total of ten cats. The incus was removed and