Cartilage Conduction Hearing Aids in Clinical Practice

A relatively loud sound is audible when a vibrator is attached to the aural cartilage. This form of conduction is referred to as cartilage conduction (CC). In Japan, a new type of hearing aid has been developed using CC and has been available in clinical practice since 2017. A clinical study conducted prior to its launch demonstrated its benefits, particularly in patients with aural atresia who were unable to use air conduction hearing aids. Several studies have been published on the benefits of CC hearing aids since their introduction into clinical practice. Most of the patients included in these studies had canal stenosis or aural atresia, and the purchase rates of CC hearing aids in these patients were relatively high. However, the number of patients with canal-open ears was small, with overall poor results in the trials, with the exception of patients with continuous otorrhea. CC hearing aids are considered a good option for compensating for hearing loss in ears with canal stenosis or atresia in both bilateral and unilateral cases. However, CC hearing aids are not currently considered the first choice for patients with a canal-open ear.