A Movie—Some Physical Aspects of Conduction Deafness

The movie is designed to demonstrate how the acoustic oscillations of the conduction mechanism may be affected in some pathological conditions. Various parts of the conduction apparatus in fresh human cadaver specimens are viewed stroboscopically while oscillating to a loud low frequency sound (180 cycles per second). Lesions are produced that affect the mass or stiffness of the mechanism. Observed and measured differences in the vibration amplitude resulting from these types of lesions help to explain why high or low tone deafness may predominate in some middle ear diseases.