Ossicular bone modeling in acute otitis media

A number of middle ear diseases are associated with pathologic bone modeling, either formative or resorptive. As such, the pathogenesis of a sclerotic mastoid has been controversial for decades. Experimental studies on acute middle ear infection have shown progressive osteoneogenesis in the bone structures surrounding the middle ear cavity, and a few studies have reported acute changes of the ossicular chain. However, detailed qualitative and quantitative information on ossicular bone modeling dynamics has not been accounted for and is thus the purpose of this study.