Nine Years of Experience With Bonebridge: Long-Term Clinical and Audiological Outcomes.

INTRODUCTION

The active bone conduction hearing implant Bonebridge is a therapeutic option for hearing rehabilitation of patients with conductive and mixed hearing loss, as well as for those with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss. It has demonstrated satisfactory audiological gain, comparable to conventional hearing aids and percutaneous bone-anchored hearing implants, with low rates of surgical and postoperative complications. However, long-term follow-up data are scarce.

METHODS

This retrospective, observational, and longitudinal study included 26 patients who underwent Bonebridge implantation between 2014 and 2021 at the Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, University of São Paulo. We reviewed medical records, audiological evaluations, and satisfaction questionnaires collected at activation, 12 months post-surgery, and at the latest assessment and also analyzed the incidence of clinical and technical complications during follow-up.

RESULTS

The mean follow-up period was 68.8 months (±21.5), ranging from 24 to 108 months. Functional gain decreased, while Sentence Recognition Threshold improved over time; effective gain and Speech Recognition Score remained stable. User satisfaction also remained stable, except in the service and costs domains of the SADL questionnaire.

CONCLUSION

Bonebridge provides safe and effective long-term audiological rehabilitation for adults and children with conductive or mixed hearing loss, with stable outcomes over time.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.