Active transcutaneous bone conduction implant: audiological results in paediatric patients with bilateral microtia associated with external auditory canal atresia

Objective: To describe, in terms of functional gain and word recognition, the audiological results of patients under 18 years of age implanted with the active bone conduction implant, Bonebridge. Design: Retrospective case studies conducted by reviewing the medical records of patients receiving implants between 2014 and 2016 in the public health sector in Chile. Study sample: All patients implanted with the Bonebridge were included (N=15). Individuals who had bilateral conductive hearing loss, secondary to external ear malformations, were considered as candidates. Results: The average hearing threshold one month after switch on was 25.2dB (95%CI 23.5-26.9). Hearing thresholds between 0.5 and 4kHz were better when compared with bone conduction hearing aids. Best performance was observed at 4kHz, where improvements to hearing were observed throughout the adaptation process. There was evidence of a significant increase in the recognition of monosyllables. Conclusions: The Bonebridge implant showed improvements to hearing thresholds and word recognition in paediatric patients with congenital conductive hearing loss.