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Published on: March 8, 2022
Bone-anchored hearing aid implant location in relation to skin reactions
Hubert T Faber1, Maarten J F de Wolf, Jacky W J de Rooy
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, DondersCentre of Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Objective:
To evaluate the effect of implant location and skin thickness on the frequency and degree of adverse skin reactions around the abutment.
Design:
Retrospective multivariate analysis of implant position related to skin thickness and clinical variables.
Setting:
Tertiary referral center.
Patients:
Random sample of 248 patients with bone-anchored hearing aids.
Interventions:
Bone-anchored hearing aid implant placement by means of the linear incision technique.
Mean Outcome Measures:
Type and number of skin reactions and implant loss.
Results:
The mean (SD) distance from the external auditory ear canal to implant was 48.8 (8.0) mm (range, 29-84 mm). The mean skin thickness was 5.5 (1.9) mm. Severe skin reactions (Holgers classification, 2-4) were seen in 46 of the 248 patients (18.5%). Implant loss occurred in 4 patients (1.6%). Three implants were lost owing to failed osseointegration (1.3%), and another implant was removed because of deterioration of cochlear function (0.9%). No implant was lost as a result of infection.
Conclusion:
Implant location and skin thickness were not correlated with implant loss or the frequency or degree of adverse skin reactions around the abutment.
