Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 May 18;11(2):207-219.
doi: 10.3390/audiolres11020019.

Review of Bone Conduction Hearing Devices

Susan E Ellsperman  1 , Emily M Nairn  1 , Emily Z Stucken  1
Affiliations
Review

Review of Bone Conduction Hearing Devices

Susan E Ellsperman et al. Audiol Res. .

Abstract

Bone conduction is an efficient pathway of sound transmission which can be harnessed to provide hearing amplification. Bone conduction hearing devices may be indicated when ear canal pathology precludes the use of a conventional hearing aid, as well as in cases of single-sided deafness. Several different technologies exist which transmit sound via bone conduction. Here, we will review the physiology of bone conduction, the indications for bone conduction amplification, and the specifics of currently available devices.

Keywords: bone conduction; bone-anchored hearing aid; osseointegrated implant; percutaneous bone conduction; transcutaneous bone conduction.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
This figure depicts the fitting ranges for the described devices. The dark grey shaded area represents the range of recommended bone conduction thresholds in patients being considered for bone conduction hearing devices. The light grey shaded area demonstrates possible air conduction thresholds. (A) represents a 45 dB BC PTA, the recommended bone conduction hearing threshold for the Ponto 3 [15], Ponto 4 [15], Baha® 5 [17], Alpha 2 MPO ePlusTM [42], and SAMBA 2 [30] processors. (B) represents a 55 dB BC PTA, the recommended bone conduction hearing threshold for the Ponto 3 Power [15], Baha® 5 Power [17], Baha® 6 Max [16], and Osia® 2 [25] processors. (C) represents a 65 dB BC PTA, the recommended bone conduction hearing threshold for the Ponto 3 SueprPower [15] and the Baha® 5 SuperPower [17]. (D) represents a 25 dB BC PTA, the recommended bone conduction hearing threshold for the ADHEAR processor [31]. (E) represents a 20 dB BC PTA. For patients with SSD, the contralateral ear should have normal hearing—a BC and AC PTA of 20 dB or better. These figures were created from publicly available device information and reproduced with permission from CochlearTM, MED-EL, Medtronic, and Oticon representatives.
Figure 1
Figure 1
This figure depicts the fitting ranges for the described devices. The dark grey shaded area represents the range of recommended bone conduction thresholds in patients being considered for bone conduction hearing devices. The light grey shaded area demonstrates possible air conduction thresholds. (A) represents a 45 dB BC PTA, the recommended bone conduction hearing threshold for the Ponto 3 [15], Ponto 4 [15], Baha® 5 [17], Alpha 2 MPO ePlusTM [42], and SAMBA 2 [30] processors. (B) represents a 55 dB BC PTA, the recommended bone conduction hearing threshold for the Ponto 3 Power [15], Baha® 5 Power [17], Baha® 6 Max [16], and Osia® 2 [25] processors. (C) represents a 65 dB BC PTA, the recommended bone conduction hearing threshold for the Ponto 3 SueprPower [15] and the Baha® 5 SuperPower [17]. (D) represents a 25 dB BC PTA, the recommended bone conduction hearing threshold for the ADHEAR processor [31]. (E) represents a 20 dB BC PTA. For patients with SSD, the contralateral ear should have normal hearing—a BC and AC PTA of 20 dB or better. These figures were created from publicly available device information and reproduced with permission from CochlearTM, MED-EL, Medtronic, and Oticon representatives.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Mudry A., Tjellström A. Historical background of bone conduction hearing devices and bone conduction hearing aids. Adv. Otorhinolaryngol. 2011;71:1–9. - PubMed
    1. Tjellström A., Lindström J., Hallén O., Albrektsson T., Brånemark P.I. Osseointegrated titanium implants in the temporal bone. A clinical study on bone-anchored hearing aids. Am. J. Otol. 1981;2:304–310. - PubMed
    1. Brånemark P.I., Hansson B.O., Adell R., Breine U., Lindström J., Hallén O., Ohman A. Osseointegrated implants in the treatment of the edentulous jaw. Experience from a 10-year period. Scand. J. Plast Reconstr. Surg. Suppl. 1977;16:1–132. - PubMed
    1. Dun C.A.J., Faber H.T., de Wolf M.J.F., Cremers C.W.R.J., Hol M.K.S. An overview of different systems: The bone-anchored hearing aid. Adv. Otorhinolaryngol. 2011;71:22–31. - PubMed
    1. Stenfelt S. Acoustic and physiologic aspects of bone conduction hearing. Adv. Otorhinolaryngol. 2011;71:10–21. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources