Seventy-three otosclerotic patients, 138 subjects who had undergone st
apes surgery (50 total stapedectomies, 43 stapedotomies with stapedius
tendon section and 45 stapedotomies with stapedius tendon preservatio
n) and 70 normal controls were investigated by susceptance multiple fr
equency tympanometry. The aims were to evaluate the efficiency of this
procedure in diagnosing otosclerosis and to assess the resonance prop
erties of middle ears undergoing different types of stapedectomy. Tymp
anometry was performed using sweep frequencies ranging from 226 to 2,0
00 Hz for each pressure step of 12.5 daPa (pressure range from -500 to
400 daPa). The resonance frequency of the system was evaluated by ide
ntifying the ''W'' morphology of susceptance tympanograms. The results
of the present investigation indicate that stapes surgery abnormally
reduces the stiffness of the tympano-ossicular system. This phenomenon
is limited by preservation of the stapedius tendon, which confers a s
ignificant degree of stiffness on the conductive system.