A New Wide-Diameter Bone Anchored Hearing Implant—Prospective 1-Year Data on Complications, Implant Stability and Survival

Excellent outcomes with the Wide Ponto Implant

In a recent study, a research group from Rigshospitalet, Denmark reported their experiences using the Wide Ponto Implant. The results reveal a safe and highly successful implant with very few complications. Implant stability — a measurement of the stability of an implant’s integration with the bone — is high and increases over time.

Twenty patients were followed for a year. The Ponto bone anchored hearing implant integrates with the bone through a process known as osseointegration. The present study used implant stability measurements to monitor the osseointegration process. Even during the surgical phase, the Wide Ponto Implant showed good stability in all patients. Ten days later, stability was even higher, and it continued to increase throughout the 12 months of the study. The authors attribute these good results to the Wide Ponto Implant’s unique OptiGrip™ design.

Implant stability increasing from a high initial value - Ponto

Implant stability increasing from a high initial value

Average ISQ values

 

Figure 1. Average implant stability values at different follow-up visits

 

A safe implant with very few complications

The implant success rate was 100% throughout the study, with no implant loss and no need for additional surgery for any of the patients.

In this study, the well-known Holgers scale was used to classify the status of the skin around the implant at four different points during the year following the surgery. The study presents data from a total of 76 follow-up visits. No skin reactions (Holgers 0) were observed in 93% of these cases. Skin reactions were rare, with only two patients in need of treatment (Holgers 2–3). Both these patients were successfully treated. The results of this study compare favourably to results from a large review of results of bone anchored hearing implants from other manufacturers (Kiringoda & Lustig).

Holgers classification across all visits - Ponto

Holgers classification across all visits 

Authors’ conclusion

The authors conclude the results by saying that “the new Wide Implant showed good surgery stability. Osseointegration was fast, and implant stability increased throughout the 1-year observation period. No implants were lost. Skin and soft tissue reactions were rare and minor.”

 

About the study

The study was a prospective study of the Wide Ponto Implant conducted at Rigshospitalet in Gentofte, Denmark. The results were published in Otology & Neurotology, one of the field’s leading scientific publications. The study evaluated the surgical outcomes of 20 patients who received the implant, with a focus on implant stability and skin and soft tissue reactions. All patients were followed for a period of at least 12 months. The study used a linear incision technique with skin thinning.

 



Reference List

  1. Foghsgaard, S, and Caye-Thomasen, P. (2014), A New Wide-Diameter Bone-Anchored Hearing Implant: Prospective 1-Year Data on Complications, Implant Stability and Survival. Otology & Neurotology, published electronically ahead of print (March 6).
  2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24608379
  3. Kiringoda & Lustig (2012). A meta-analysis of the complications associated with osseointegrated hearing aids. Otology & Neurotology, 34:790–794.

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