STUDIES AT A GLANCE

New scientific studies summarized for you

Study: Long-term audiological benefit with the BONEBRIDGE

(Original title: Long-term audiological benefit with an active transcutaneous bone-conduction device: a retrospective cohort analysis, Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2021; Hunderpfund J et al.)

Take home message:

The BONEBRIDGE delivers good long-term audiological and speech benefits and is a safe and effective treatment for conductive and mixed hearing losses.

Background:

Studies on long-term benefits of active transcutaneous bone-conduction devices, such as the BONEBRIDGE, are rare. Most studies on these devices cover short-term periods and rather small patient cohorts.

Method:

• 31 adult patients (mean age: 45.9±19.23 yrs) with unilateral conductive hearing loss or mixed hearing loss
• Retrospective
• Time of study: 7.1 years (2012-2019)
• Main outcome measures: pure-tone audiometry and speech audiometry in quiet with German Freiburger monosyllable test at 65 dB SPL
• Data collection:
  • Baseline: pre-implantation
  • follow-up 1: short-term (<12 months / 0.4±0.2 years, n = 26)
  • follow-up 2: long-term (> 12 months / 4.1±1.7 years, n = 21)

 Results:

• BC thresholds remained almost stable before and after implantation.
• Mean BONEBRIDGE-aided AC PTA4 thresholds were significantly lower than in the pre-implant unaided condition, both for short-term and for long-term follow-ups.
• Word recognition scores in quiet improved considerably in the aided condition for both short-term and long-term observation periods compared to the unaided condition.
• Surgical considerations, particularly the usage of lifts for bone conduction surgery, did not make a difference.
• Adverse events: 10 minor procedure-related and 5 implant-related events occurred during follow-up period, all of them manageable.

Read the study here: doi: 10.1007/s00405-021-07031-w