An international team of researchers has created tiny, complex scaffolds that mimic the intricate network of collagen fibres that form the human eardrum. It is hoped the scaffolds can be used to replace eardrums when they become severely damaged, reducing the need for patients to have their own tissue used in reconstruction surgery. The scaffolds have been presented in IOP Publishing's journal Biofabrication.
The eardrum, otherwise known as the tympanic membrane (TM), is a thin, flexible and tough membrane that separates the external ear from the middle ear. The eardrum is composed of collagen fibres that are precisely aligned in a complex network to enable sound waves to be transmitted to the ear ossicles - three tiny bones in the ear. It is quite common for the eardrum to become perforated, especially in children, through infection or physical damage, which can often lead to…
