Miniature pigs: a large animal model of cochlear implantation

The objective of this paper was to investigate the suitability of the miniature pig as a large animal model of cochlear implantation (CI). Micro-CT scanning and three-dimensional reconstructions of the inner ear were completed in six animals. Photographs of the procedures and measurements of the inner ear were made. The CI procedure was simulated in 10 animals. Electrically evoked auditory brain stem responses (EABRs) and radiographic images were evaluated during or after the CI procedure. Morphological examination and measurements of inner ears of the miniature pigs were completed by micro-CT scanning. The height of the scala tympani was 873.12 µm in the 1st turn, 641.46 µm in the 2nd turn, 445.13 µm in the third turn and 339.19 µm in the fourth turn. The length of the cochlea was 38.6 mm, larger than other animal models (7.2 mm in rats and 22 mm in macaque, for example) and similar to that in the human (36 mm). Commercial electrodes used in humans (870 µm at the end and 630 µm at the tip in diameter) were implanted in the pig's cochlea, through which normal eABRs were obtained. Radiographic images after the CI procedure revealed electrodes located in the scala tympani of the first and second turns. Compared with traditional animal models, greater similarities of the inner ear between miniature pigs and humans make this animal a potentially useful model for CI studies.