Paralysis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Paralysis, including details on treatment, diagnosis, facial paralysis, sleep paralysis.

Vocal fold augmentation with calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA).

Rosen CA, Gartner-Schmidt J, Casiano R, Anderson TD, Johnson F, Reussner L, Remacle M, Sataloff RT, Abitbol J, Shaw G, Archer S, McWhorter A

University of Pittsburgh Dept. of Otolaryngology-HNS, University of Pittsburgh Voice Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA, and University Hospital of Louvain-Mont Goddine, Yvoir, Belgium. RosenCA@upmc.edu

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the effectiveness of CaHA injection for patients with glottal incompetence. METHODS: Multi-center, open-label, prospective clinical study with each patient serving as his/her own control. Voice-related outcome measures were collected for pre-injection and 1, 3, and 6 months. RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients were available for evaluation. Fifty percent of the injection procedures were done in office. Fifty-seven percent were diagnosed with unilateral paralysis and 42% with glottal incompetence with mobile vocal folds. Patient satisfaction 6 months post showed 56% had significantly improved voice and 38% reported moderately improved voice. Paired t tests from baseline to 6 months showed significant improvements on the VHI and VAS (vocal effort), CAPE-V judgments of voice severity and videoendostroboscopy ratings of glottal closure, and objective voice measures of glottal closure (MPT and S:Z ratio). CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary results in this large cohort of patients demonstrate excellent clinical results.

Published 5 February 2007 in Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 136(2): 198-204.
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