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Bone Conduction Hearing Aids

Bone Conduction Hearing Aids

Bone conduction hearing aids are a category of hearing devices that transmit sound directly to the cochlea (inner ear) via bone conduction. They are also called osseointegrated or bone-anchored devices.

How Do Bone Conduction Hearing Aids Work?

Bone conduction hearing aids transmit sound directly to the inner ear through vibration, bypassing the outer and middle ear structures. Sound is picked up by the hearing aid microphones and converted to a mechanical signal which vibrates the skull where the inner ear is housed. This is different from a traditional hearing aid which amplifies an acoustic  signal before it travels through the outer and middle ear.

Who is a Candidate for Bone Conduction Hearing Aids?

Bone conduction hearing aids may be recommended for individuals with hearing loss secondary to a condition of the outer or middle ear. These conditions include but are not limited to:

  • Microtia (malformed outer ear)
  • Ear canal stenosis (narrow ear canal)
  • Aural atresia (absent ear canal)
  • Chronic middle ear disease or ear drainage

A bone conduction hearing aid may also be recommended for individuals with single-sided deafness (one normal hearing ear and one ear with little to no residual hearing). In these cases, a bone conduction hearing aid helps to improve audibility of sound directed to the poorer ear by effectively “sending” it to the normal hearing ear via the vibration signal.

Non-surgical vs. Surgical Bone Conduction Hearing Systems

There are surgical and non-surgical options for bone conduction hearing systems.

  • Non-surgical systems consist of an external processor which is attached to the head using a headband or an adhesive.
  • Surgical systems consist of an internal component (which is surgically placed by an Otologist) and an external processor which is attached to the head by an abutment or a magnet.

UR Medicine's Approach

The decision about which type of device to pursue requires input from the patient, their audiologist, and their otolaryngologist. Patient preference, age, anatomy, hearing loss severity, hearing loss type and medical history must all be considered.

Our team currently dispenses and services the following bone conduction hearing aid systems:

  • Cochlear Americans Baha
  • Cochlear Americas Osia
  • Med-El Bone
  • Oticon Medical Ponto
  • Oticon Sention
  • Med-El Adhear
  • Med-EL Bonebridge

What Sets Us Apart?

At UR Medicine Audiology, we provide comprehensive and collaborative services and resources to patients, families, healthcare professionals and the community to address a wide range of problems associated with hearing and auditory processing.

Each member of our team at UR Medicine Audiology holds a master’s degree or higher and is New York State-licensed and nationally certified in audiology. Our providers engage in extensive research and are dedicated to advancing knowledge and expanding treatment options.

Supported by the latest technologies, our hearing professionals approach each patient’s unique challenges by combining specialized expertise with years of experience in the areas of:

  • Clinical research
  • Conservation
  • Education
  • Evaluation
  • Identification
  • Prevention
  • Treatment

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