BONEBRIDGE,   A NEW SOLUTION FOR CONDUCTIVE AND

MIXED HEARING LOSS

M. Cosgarea, V. Necula, A. Marin, M. Bindea, A. Brînzan, A.

Lutsch
Cluj-Napoca, ENT Department
 BONEBRIDGE IMPLANTABLE
SYSTEM

• Bonebridge – a partial implantable hearing system

• Internal implantable component and an external
audio processor
 BONEBRIDGE IMPLANTABLE SYSTEM
• The speech processor, which is located above the
implant by magnetic attraction, receives sounds,
converts and transmits them to the internal component
• The implant is embedded in bone (temporal bone) and
converts the received signals into mechanical vibrations
that are then transmitted to the surrounding bone
• The bone lead then these vibrations to the inner ear
where they are converted into nerve impulses transmitted
via auditory nerve to the brain
 BONEBRIDGE INDICATIONS

◦ Conductive hearing loss

◦ Mixed hearing loss
 BONEBRIDGE ADVANTAGES

 Intactskin
 The implantable component is
completely under the skin
 The speech processor can be worn
comfortably under the hair
 Very low rate of skin complications
 Not obstruct the external auditory
canal
 BONEBRIDGE

 B.I., 59 years old male patient

Cholesteatoma, chronic otorhea, left ear,
 Mixed profound hearing loss

in left ear, medium mixed

hearing loss in right ear
 Could not wear the conventional

hearing aid
 Patient history

Personal medical history:

Polyp in the left EAC removed in January 2011,
relapsed
Recurrent otitis media episodes since the age of
16 years
Overweight
Family history:
Insignificant
 Clinical and laboratory investigations

Pure tone thresholds and speech audiogram

Skullbase CT Scan
Blood tests
EKG
Chest Rx
Pure tone thresholds and speech audiogram
INVESTIGAŢII CLINICE ŞI PARACLINICE

Pure tone thresholds and speech audiogram

Skull base CT Scan
Blood tests
EKG
Chest Rx
Skull-base CT
 Surgical procedure
 Surgery on the right ear in general anesthesia
 Retroauricular incision
 The mastoid bone is drilled out to insert the
prosthesis which is fixed with 2 screws
 Subcutaneous plans and the skin are replaced over
the device
 Skin suture
 Audiogram before and after surgery

PREOPERATIVE POSTOPERATIVE
 TREATMENT OPTIONS

Conventional hearing aid

(patient does not tolerate it)

Bonebridge implantable
system

BAHA implantable system

(bone anchored hearing aids)
Vibrant BAHA
 Choosing the treatment

Patient chose the Bonebridge system because

◦ To maintain the skin integrity
◦ Due to the simplicity to attach and detach the audio
processor
We chose the right ear because the temporal
bone was more healthy and the hearing more
easily recovered
 Hearing test
After the first fitting the patient hears better and
is very satisfied with his device