Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
Sound Source Localization Testing in Single-sided Deafness Following Bone Conduction Intervention
Published on: December 20, 2024
Is the Bone-Conduction HeadBand test useful for predicting the functional outcome of a round window active middle ear
Simonetta Monini1, Chiara Filippi, Francesca Atturo
1Department of Neurology, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Otorhinolaryngologic Unit, Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
Objective:
To estimate the reliability of the Bone Conduction-HeadBand (BC-HB) test for predicting the postoperative functional outcome of a round-window (RW) vibroplasty.
Study Design:
Within-subject comparison of the functional results of the BC-HB test, which is routinely used for the preoperative evaluation of a bone-conduction transducer, with an active middle ear implant (AMEI) placed onto the round window.
Setting:
Tertiary referral university hospital center.
Patients:
Seven patients with similar anatomic (absent stapes superstructure) and functional (moderate, mixed hearing loss) sequelae from open tympanoplasty technique.
Intervention:
All subjects underwent preoperative audiologic assessment with the BC-HB. Subsequently, all subjects underwent surgical placement of an AMEI onto the round window.
Main Outcome Measure:
Pure tone and speech audiometry in quiet and noise were assessed. Additionally, evaluation of specific satisfactory targets was performed using the Client Oriented Scale of Improvement.
Results:
Pure tone and speech audiometry in quiet established that both devices had very similar performance and provided remarkable improvement compared with the unaided condition. However, high-frequency gain and speech audiometry in noise demonstrated better performance with RW-AMEI.
Conclusion:
In patients presenting with mixed hearing loss as a sequela from middle ear surgery, the preoperative BC-HB test may be helpful in predicting the final functional outcome and patient satisfaction with RW-AMEI.
