Bone conduction hearing implants are a well-established method of hearing rehabilitation in children and adults. This study aimed to review any changes in provision in England.

The total number of bone conduction hearing implantations performed was analysed from 2012 to 2021 utilising Hospital Episode Statistics data for England.

The total number of procedures has increased by 58 per cent. One-stage bone conduction hearing implantations in adults accounts for the largest proportion of this increase (93 per cent of the total). The number performed in children has remained stable and accounts for 73 per cent (n = 433) of all two-stage procedures.

The data show that bone conduction hearing implant surgery is becoming increasingly popular, particularly in adults. This has correlated with the increase in availability, national recommendations and choice of devices.

Osia is a new, transcutaneous, active bone-conduction implant. This study aimed to compare the BAHA Attract and the first-generation Osia system after BAHA Attract to Osia conversion surgery.

Five patients who had previously used the BAHA Attract system were converted to the first generation of the Osia system. Surgical aspects of the two different systems, audiological performance and subjective opinions of the patients were investigated. Pure tone audiometry and speech audiometry in quiet was performed with each patient's BAHA 5 sound processor on Attract, and the test battery was repeated six weeks after the Attract to Osia conversion and at different time points after the first fitting. Details of the surgery and patients' feedback were analysed.

Audiology tests showed significant improvement when using either system; however, the Osia system performance was better. Based on patient feedback, all the five implantees preferred the Osia system.

The study results suggest that the Osia system is a safe and powerful hearing implant that provides good clinical outcomes.

This study aimed to evaluate the possibilities of artefact reduction using different anatomical implant positions with the Bonebridge bone-conduction hearing implant 602 for a patient with an acoustic neuroma requiring regular diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging of the tumour position.

Three implant positions and magnetic resonance imaging examinations with and without customised sequences for metal artefact suppression were investigated. The diagnostic usefulness was rated by a radiologist (qualitative evaluation), and the relation between the area of artefact and the total head area was calculated (quantitative evaluation).

Following the qualitative analysis, the radiologist rated the superior to middle fossa implant placement significantly better for diagnostic purposes, which is in agreement with the calculated artefact ratio (p < 0.0001). The customised slice-encoding metal artifact correction view-angle tilting metal artifact reduction technique sequences significantly decreased the relative artefact area between 5.13 per cent and 25.02 per cent. The smallest mean artefact diameter was found for the superior to middle fossa position with 6.80 ± 1.30 cm (range: 5.42–9.74 cm; reduction of 18.65 per cent).

The application of artefact reduction sequencing and special anatomical implant positioning allows regular magnetic resonance imaging in patients with the bone-conduction hearing implant 602 without sacrificing diagnostic imaging quality for tumour diagnosis.

Limited data are available on the effects of otosclerosis and otosclerosis surgery on the utricle and saccule. This study aimed to determine the effect of otosclerosis and stapedotomy on vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials.

This retrospective study included 16 otosclerosis patients and 18 controls. Thirty-two ears of 16 patients with otosclerosis were divided into 2 groups based on whether the ear had been operated on or not. All patients and subjects underwent 500 Hz air- and bone-conducted ocular and cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials testing.

Overall comparison of response rates showed a significant difference among the groups. Further statistical tests showed that this difference arose from differences between both operated and unoperated groups and the control group, for air-conducted cervical and ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials.

Otosclerosis and stapedotomy may affect the elicitability of vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials. Otosclerosis is associated with lower response rates for air-conducted ocular and cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials, regardless of whether operated on. Having been operated on does not significantly increase the response rate of air-conducted vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials.

To compare the measured bone conduction threshold at 3 kHz with the calculated threshold in newly diagnosed sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

A retrospective chart review was conducted of pure tone audiograms in confirmed sudden sensorineural hearing loss cases.

Of 157 patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss, 144 had idiopathic hearing loss, 8 had vestibular schwannoma and 5 had Ménière's disease. The r value for the correlation between the two methods of 3 kHz assessment for all patients was 0.887 (p < 0.001). The mean difference between the measured and calculated 3 kHz thresholds was 0.76 ± 7.96 dB, 0.4 ± 8.08 dB and 1.5 ± 1.8 dB in the sudden sensorineural hearing loss, idiopathic and Ménière's disease groups, respectively. The mean difference between the measured and calculated 3 kHz thresholds was significantly greater in the vestibular schwannoma group (6.86 ± 4.38 dB) than in the idiopathic group (p = 0.013).

The 3 kHz frequency may encompass important audiometric information. A discrepancy between the measured and calculated bone conduction 3 kHz thresholds raises suspicion of an underlying vestibular schwannoma as an aetiology for sudden sensorineural hearing loss, and these thresholds should therefore be measured independently and routinely.

To describe our management of implantable hearing device extrusion in cases of previous cervicofacial surgery.

A review was conducted of a retrospectively acquired database of surgical procedures for implantable hearing devices performed at our department between January 2011 and December 2019. Cases of device extrusion and previous cervicofacial surgery are included. Medical and surgical management is discussed.

Four cases of implant extrusion following cervicofacial surgery were identified: one involving a Bonebridge system and three involving cochlear implants. In all cases, antibiotic treatment was administered and surgical debridement performed. The same Bonebridge system was implanted in the middle fossa. The three cochlear implants were removed, and new devices were implanted in a more posterior region.

Previous cervicofacial surgery is a risk factor for hearing implant extrusion. The middle fossa approach is the best option for the Bonebridge system. Regarding the cochlear implant, it is always suitable to place it in a more posterior area. An inferiorly based fascio-muscular flap may be a good option to reduce the risk of extrusion.

This study aimed to evaluate surgical and functional outcomes, in a tertiary referral centre, of two different types of semi-implantable transcutaneous bone conduction devices.

This study involved prospective data collection and review of patients implanted between November 2014 and December 2016. Glasgow Hearing Aid Inventory (Glasgow Hearing Aid Benefit Profile or Glasgow Hearing Aid Difference Profile) and Client Oriented Scale of Improvement were completed where appropriate. Surgical and audiological outcomes were recorded in the surgical notes.

Glasgow Hearing Aid Difference Profile and Glasgow Hearing Aid Benefit Profile showed similar mean score in the active and the passive transcutaneous bone conduction devices. Client Oriented Scale of Improvement showed improvements in listening situations. Post-operative speech reception threshold showed better mean threshold in the active transcutaneous bone conduction devices group when compared with the passive transcutaneous bone conduction devices group. No device failures or surgical complications existed in either group, with the surgical time being less in the passive transcutaneous bone conduction devices group.

Both devices are reliable semi-implantable transcutaneous bone conduction devices with excellent surgical and functional outcomes and patient satisfaction. Overall surgical time was much less in the passive transcutaneous bone conduction devices group with no necessity for pre-planning. This is much easier to remove with the possibility of conversion to other devices in the manufacturer’s portfolio and wide-ranging wireless accessories. Further studies are needed to assess the longer-term results in a bigger population.

To compare soft-tissue complications following implantation of different bone conduction hearing devices.

Adults who underwent implantation of different bone conduction hearing devices, between January 2008 and December 2016, were included in the study. Five groups were identified depending on the soft-tissue approach: (1) split-thickness skin flap with use of dermatome; (2) Sheffield ‘S’-shaped incision with skin thinning; (3) linear incision without skin thinning (hydroxyapatite-coated abutment); (4) ‘C’-shaped full-thickness incision for passive transcutaneous bone conduction hearing devices; and (5) post-aural incision for active transcutaneous bone conduction hearing devices. The main outcome measures were different soft-tissue complications.

The study comprised 120 patients (group 1 = 20 patients, group 2 = 35, group 3 = 35, group 4 = 20, and group 5 = 10). Soft tissue related problems were encountered in 55 per cent of patients from group 1, 26 per cent in group 2, 3 per cent in group 3, and 0 per cent in groups 4 and 5.

There was a reduction in soft tissue related complications with reduced soft-tissue handling. In addition, there was a shift from an initial skin-penetrating (percutaneous) approach to a non-skin-penetrating (transcutaneous) approach.

The Bonebridge is an active transcutaneous bone conduction implant recommended as a surgical option for adults and children (aged 5–18 years). Successful implantation of the Bonebridge is often restricted by an insufficient amount of temporal bone to house the transducer in the paediatric patient.

In this unique paediatric case, bilateral Bonebridge devices were implanted simultaneously in the right sinodural angle and the left middle cranial fossa.

The simultaneous implantation of bilateral Bonebridge devices was well tolerated in this paediatric patient, with significant improvement in her hearing. The middle cranial fossa is a viable option for housing the transducer.

The transmastoid pre-sigmoid approach is always the preferred choice for implantation of the Bonebridge active bone conduction system in patients with a normal anatomy. When an anatomical variant exists or a previous surgery has been performed, a retrosigmoid approach or middle fossa approach can be performed.

The preferred surgical technique for a middle fossa approach is described. A 14 mm drill head (Neuro Drill) was used to create the bed at the squamous portion of the temporal bone. Surgical time and complication rate were analysed.

The surgical time was shorter than 30 minutes in all cases, and only 14 seconds were needed to create a 14 mm bone bed. No complications were observed during the follow-up period (6–45 months).

Use of the Neuro Drill for the middle fossa approach is an easy technique. It significantly decreases the surgical time, without increasing the complication rate.

A subset of patients with bone-anchored hearing aids develop skin reactions that may be related to excess skin mobility around the skin-penetrating abutments. However, there is a lack of reports on the extent of skin mobility within the retroauricular space, typical for the implant location.

This study was based on photographic analysis of the relative shifts between the skull and soft tissue of the head in the retroauricular region, detected under the physiological conditions of head support and facial muscle contraction.

The mean calculated value for skin shifts at the implant site was 5.1 mm. In 84 per cent of cases, the extent of skin shift was greater with the head at rest, by an average of 3.1 mm. The extent of skin movement during facial muscle contraction ranged between 0 mm and 8.9 mm. No direct correlations were detected between the extent and direction of skin shifts and patients’ age, gender or body mass index.

There are no objective data that can predict individual skin movement at the osseointegrated implant site. The study confirmed high variability in terms of the direction and extent of skin shift, which should be discussed when managing related skin problems.

To investigate the surgical and audiological outcomes of the Bonebridge transcutaneous bone conduction hearing implant among children with congenital aural atresia.

Six children were recruited and underwent Bonebridge transcutaneous bone conduction implant surgery. The patients’ audiometric thresholds for air conduction, bone conduction and sound-field tests were assessed pre-operatively and at six months post-operatively. Patients’ satisfaction was assessed at six months post-operatively with the Hearing Device Satisfaction Scale.

No major complications were reported. Mean aided sound-field thresholds improved post-operatively by more than 30 dB for 0.5–4 kHz (p < 0.05). Mean unaided air conduction and bone conduction thresholds differed by less than 5 dB post-operatively (compared to pre-operatively) for 0.5–4 kHz; these findings were not significant (p > 0.05). All patients were satisfied (scores were over 90 per cent) with the implant in terms of functional outcome and cosmetic appearance.

Bonebridge transcutaneous bone conduction implant surgery is safe and effective among children with congenital aural atresia with conductive hearing loss.

The percutaneous osseointegrated bone conduction device can be associated with more soft tissue complications when compared to the magnetic transcutaneous osseointegrated bone conduction device. This study aimed to determine whether fewer soft tissue complications may result in the transcutaneous osseointegrated bone conduction device being a lower cost option in hearing rehabilitation.

This retrospective case note review included adult patients who underwent implantation with the transcutaneous Cochlear Attract (n = 22) or percutaneous Cochlear DermaLock (n = 25) bone-anchored hearing aids between September 2013 and December 2014. The number of post-operative clinic appointments, complications and treatments undertaken, and calculated cost average, were compared between the two groups.

Although the transcutaneous device was slightly more expensive than the percutaneous device, the percutaneous device was associated with a greater number of soft tissue complications and, as a result, the percutaneous device had significantly higher follow-up costs in the first six months following surgery.

The transcutaneous osseointegrated bone conduction device may represent a more cost-effective method of hearing rehabilitation compared to the percutaneous osseointegrated bone conduction device.

To investigate the characteristic physical properties of the oscillating system in the intact middle ear using a high-speed camera.

We analysed the oscillation of the guinea pig stapes using a high-speed camera. The specimens were prepared so that the middle-ear structures were intact. Tones of various frequencies were delivered into the external auditory canal.

We found that the stapes showed a damped oscillation after the sound stimulation had stopped. The damped oscillation after the sound stimulation showed a specimen-specific frequency that was independent of the frequency of the stimulating sound. An injury to the bony labyrinth, which removed most of the mass from the oscillating system, attenuated the damped oscillation. Therefore, this damped oscillation is likely a passive motion, rather than a reverberation of the stimulating sound.

Analysing the passive damped oscillation may reveal the characteristic physical properties of the oscillating system in the near-intact middle ear. Further refinement of this simple and straightforward system may enhance basic and clinical research on the middle ear in a more intuitive way.

We investigated the ossicular movement in the near-intact middle ear in response to acoustic stimulation using a high-speed video camera and video analysis software program.

We have designed a good visual access to the middle ear of the guinea pig by opening the ventral wall of the otic capsule, without injuring the sound-conducting structures, from the external auditory canal to the oval window. The high-speed video camera could record analysable ossicular motion up to 4000 frames per second.

The stapes showed reciprocal movement in the same frequency as the stimulating tone, and with an amplitude proportional to the stimulating sound intensity. Injury to the tympanic membrane attenuated the stapedial motion, which was recovered to that of the control level by patch repair of the perforation.

Our experimental set-up was capable of evaluating the conductive hearing, regardless of the status of the animal's sensorineural hearing or even life. Such a video analysis may provide a powerful tool to investigate the physiology of the middle ear.

Despite extensive soft tissue reduction, the most common complications associated with bone-anchored hearing aid systems, also known as bone-anchored hearing implants, are related to adverse skin reactions around the abutment. The necessary soft tissue reduction also adds complexity to the surgical procedure. This study aimed to evaluate the surgical and audiological outcomes of a new connective interface of the Cochlear™ Baha® BA400 device implanted using the one-stage surgical technique.

A multicentre, retrospective case series is presented, including data collected from three tertiary care institutions.

In total, 16 patients who had undergone bone-anchored hearing aid surgery over a 10- to 12-month period were assessed for hearing performance, implant stability and surgical complications.

This case series indicates that new abutments with a hydroxyapatite coating can be implanted percutaneously without soft tissue reduction. Furthermore, device implantation using this surgical technique may have some advantages compared with a conventional device and procedure combination over 12- to 16-months of follow up.

To determine the effectiveness of biocements in rebridging isolated incudostapedial erosion.

A review of the use of biocements for isolated incudostapedial joint erosion was performed on publications from 1998 to 2012 available from Medline, Embase and Pubmed. Inclusion criteria were papers published in English, case series or comparative studies with more than 10 patients, isolated incudostapedial erosion through chronic ear disease, minimal air-bone gap less than 20 dB (or air-bone gap less than 10 dB) and follow up for at least one year.

In 108 patients, rebridging ossiculoplasty was performed using hydroxyapatite cement. Closure of air-bone gaps less than 20 dB and less than 10 dB was achieved in 80–94.4 per cent and 29–75 per cent, respectively. Glass ionomer cement was used in 318 patients. Closure of air-bone gaps less than 20 dB and less than 10 dB was achieved in 74–94 per cent and 40–76 per cent, respectively.

Biocements can be successfully used to close isolated incudostapedial erosions. Larger comparative prospective studies documenting the length of eroded incus and types of reformation of the incudostapedial joint, with standardised reporting, are needed in the future.