First experience with an active bone conduction implant system fixed by selfdrilling screws

Objective The active bone conduction hearing implant (BoneBridge) is since few years in use. The floating mass transducer has to be fixed with two screws, which require predrilled openings. Selfdrilling screws could simplificate the implantation procedure. We present our first experience with the implant fixation by selfdrilling screws.

Study design Prospective study, single-subject repeated-measures design, one single tertiary referral center (Olgahospital, Stuttgart). All implants fixed by selfdrilling screws were evaluated.

Patients and methods 10 patients aged 5 to 58 years received one implant each. Intraoperative observations were evaluated according to a standard questionnaire.

Air and bone conduction threshold and improvement in word recognition scores in aided and unaided condition were measured.

Results The variety of individual surgical situations could be summarized in 3 indication groups: a. malformations, b. revision surgery and c. single sided deafness.

Intraoperative complications were not observed. Implant fixation was perfect in all cases. Significant speech discrimination improvement was found in all patients tested after 3 months.

In one case revision surgery was required due to skin dehiscence. In this case the skin was affected by prior surgery.

Conclusion Bone conduction implant fixation by selfdrillig screws is safe and reliable. Additional advantages are time saving and simplification of the surgery. Audiological improvement was achieved in all cases.

Poster-PDF A-1794.PDF

Publication History

Article published online:
10 June 2020