Clinical application of a modified cartilage ring reposition technique in tympanoplasty.

BACKGROUND: Extensive cartilage-harvest during tympanoplasty can result in tragus atrophy. It can bring inconvenience to life by impairing headphone or hearing aid use.This study proposed a modified technique to preserve tragus shape and function by creating a large cartilaginous-perichondrial complex and repositioning the cartilage ring into the tragus. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 53 patients undergoing type I tympanoplasty compared outcomes between an experimental group (n = 27 ) and a control group (n = 26). Postoperative outcomes—including tragal cartilage function scores, graft survival rates, audiometric results, and complications—were assessed at 1-month and 1-year follow-ups. RESULTS: Type I tympanoplasty, using unilateral cartilage-perichondrium repositioning of the cartilage ring, demonstrated: (1) significantly superior tragus recovery postoperatively compared to the traditional technique; (2) statistically significant improvements in tragus aesthetics and headphone tolerance at 1-year follow-up; and (3) comparable pure-tone audiometry outcomes tympanic membrane closure rates, and postoperative symptom profiles between groups. CONCLUSIONS: The cartilage ring repositioning technique in tympanoplasty effectively maintained tragus configuration and function without elevating complication risks or compromising auditory outcomes. This approach enhances the comfort of patients when using auditory devices and represents a viable surgical alternative.