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Skin flap thickness and magnet strength in Cochlear implants.
Tamara Searle1, Evie Marshall1, Louise Craddock2
1Birmingham Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Cochlear Implants International
|September 30, 2020
Summary
New cochlear implants (CI600) have lower magnetic strength, potentially causing retention issues for patients with thicker skin. This study found no significant link between skin thickness and magnet strength, but did find a link between BMI and skin thickness.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- The Nucleus® Profile™ Plus Series CI600 cochlear implants offer improved MRI compatibility due to reduced magnet attraction force.
- A lower magnetic attraction force may compromise implant retention in individuals requiring stronger magnets, particularly those with increased skin thickness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between skin thickness and the required magnet strength in patients receiving cochlear implants.
- To assess potential retention challenges with the new CI600 series cochlear implants in specific patient populations.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 46 cochlear implant patients.
- Collected data included patient demographics (age, BMI), magnet strength, and pre/post-operative skin thickness measurements.
Main Results:
- A weak, non-statistically significant positive correlation was observed between magnet strength and skin thickness (r=0.149, p=0.324).
- A weak, non-statistically significant positive correlation was found between magnet strength and body mass index (r=0.113, p=0.456).
- A moderate, statistically significant positive correlation was found between body mass index and skin thickness (r=0.362, p=0.012).
Conclusions:
- While not statistically significant in this cohort, increased skin thickness associated with higher BMI may necessitate stronger magnets for cochlear implant retention.
- The reduced magnetic attraction force of the CI600 series raises concerns about implant retention in patients with thicker skin or higher BMI.
- Consideration of skin flap reduction surgery may be warranted for certain patients to ensure adequate retention of the CI600 series cochlear implant.
