Addressing Hearing Loss: Biocement’s Impact on Ossicular Chain Reconstruction in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A narrative review

Abstract

Background and Objective: The auditory ossicular chain is essential for sound transmission, and injury may cause conductive hearing loss. Recent advances in ossiculoplasty have shown biocement's promise as a bioactive material for repairing the ossicular chain. The purpose of this literature review is to assess the effectiveness, obstacles, and inequities associated with employing biocement for ossicular restoration. To evaluate current studies on biocement in ossiculoplasty, with an emphasis on its benefits, limits, and significance in low- and middle-income countries. Methods: A comprehensive review of relevant English-language articles on the auditory ossicular chain was conducted by searching PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Medline databases. The following keywords were used: auditory ossicular chain, ossiculoplasty, biocement, conductive hearing loss, and middle ear reconstruction. The search was limited to studies published within the last two decades, focusing on both clinical trials and experimental research.
Results: Comparatively to conventional materials, biocement shows great promise in enhancing hearing results and encouraging ossicular regeneration. Long-term durability and infection risk still cause questions, however. Different availability to biocement in LMICs reduces the advantages for people suffering with conductive hearing loss. Conclusion: Although the application of biocement in ossicular chain repair shows a great development in otology, further study is required to handle long-term safety and accessibility problems in LMICs. Global health equality depends on means of increasing the availability of biocement in environments with limited resources.