Evaluation of bone tissue formation in a flat surface attachment of a Bone Conduction Implant - A pilot study in a sheep model
Journal article, 2014

The Bone Conduction Implant (BCI) is a new bone conduction hearing device implanted under intact skin. The transducer has a flat direct contact to the mastoid part of the temporal bone and no screws are used. The sound signal is transmitted from the external audio processor to the implant by means of magnetic induction. In this study, osseointegration of a flat passive BCI transducer dummy in sheep skulls was assessed using quantitative and qualitative histology as well as Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) and Computed Tomography (CT). The histology results were also related to the mechanical properties of the bone to implant interface. Eight months after the surgical implantation, histology sections of the bone close to the implant showed bone remodelling, compact bone and some degree of osseointegration. The histological findings corresponded well to the mechanical measurements indicating stiffer bone close to the implant, and unaffected skull vibration transmission. Neither CBCT nor CT had enough resolution to visualize the bone to implant interface in detail. In this study, using an animal model, it is shown that a flat implant in contact with bone, can be a feasible method for efficient vibration transmission to the skull bone.

Bone Conduction

Bone Conduction Implant

Histomorphometry

Cone Beam Computed Tomography

Osseointegration

Implantable bone conduction hearing devices

Author

Måns Eeg-Olofsson

University of Gothenburg

Agneta Lith

University of Gothenburg

Bo Håkansson

Chalmers, Signals and Systems, Signal Processing and Biomedical Engineering

Sabine Reinfeldt

Chalmers, Signals and Systems, Signal Processing and Biomedical Engineering

Hamidreza Taghavi

Chalmers, Signals and Systems, Signal Processing and Biomedical Engineering

Karl-Johan Fredén Jansson

Chalmers, Signals and Systems

Carina B. Johansson

University of Gothenburg

Audiology and Neurotology Extra

1664-5537 (eISSN)

Vol. 4 3 62-76

Subject Categories

Cell and Molecular Biology

Otorhinolaryngology

Biomaterials Science

Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging

DOI

10.1159/000369918

More information

Created

10/7/2017