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The Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Skull Soft Tissues: Implications for Bone Conduction Coupling
Vanessa J Zhang1,2, Soomin Myoung1,2, Yoshiaki Inuzuka2
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester.
Summary
Mastoid soft-tissue thickness, measured via temporal bone CT, significantly increases with body mass index (BMI). This finding has implications for bone conduction hearing device fitting and audiometry interpretation.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Otolaryngology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Mastoid soft-tissue thickness is a key factor in bone conduction hearing.
- Understanding variations in this thickness is crucial for audiological assessments and device fitting.
- Computed tomography (CT) offers a precise method for quantifying soft-tissue dimensions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify mastoid soft-tissue thickness using temporal bone CT scans.
- To investigate the association between mastoid soft-tissue thickness and body mass index (BMI), age, and sex.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cross-sectional study involving 147 adult temporal bone CT scans.
- Mastoid soft-tissue thickness was measured at six sites per ear.
- Statistical analysis evaluated associations with BMI, age, and sex.
Main Results:
- Mean mastoid thickness was 9.7±4.1 mm.
- Higher BMI was significantly associated with increased mastoid thickness (adjusted β =0.30 mm per kg/m²).
- Male sex was also associated with thicker mastoid tissue (adjusted difference: 1.37 mm).
Conclusions:
- Mastoid soft-tissue thickness exhibits considerable variation and correlates positively with BMI.
- BMI can serve as a practical clinical indicator for the soft-tissue envelope at bone conduction interfaces.
- These findings may inform the interpretation of bone conduction audiometry and the selection of bone conduction hearing devices.
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