Selection of biomaterials for middle and inner ear implants.

In the selection of biomaterials for middle ear applications of implantable devices, certainly the site of implantation and the mass of the implant will dictate the choice of biomaterials. Hermetic sealing of an implant is best achieved by the use of metals, not polymers. Osteocompatibility of an ossicular implant can be enhanced by the incorporation of calcium phosphates such as hydroxyapatite coatings. Finally, osseointegration or osseofixation is neither necessary nor desirable for ossicular implants, because (1) they may need to be removed or replaced in the future and (2) their solid fixation to an ossicle is not necessary for the vibratory function of hearing amplification.