A Systematic Review of the Audiological Efficacy of Cartilage Conduction Hearing Aids and the Factors Influencing Their Clinical Application

Bei Li, Sinyoung Lee, Zuwei Cao, Takuji Koike, Robin Joseph, Tamsin Holland Brown, Fei Zhao*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

This systematic review evaluates the efficacy and benefit of cartilage conduction hearing aids (CC-HAs) and that factors that influence purchasing decisions. The hearing thresholds and functional gain following CC-HA wear were synthesised. A one-way analysis of variance compared the differences in the hearing thresholds and functional gain at individual frequencies and in patients with a variety of pathological changes. The synchronised aided hearing threshold and functional gain at 2.0 kHz were significantly better than at 0.5, 1.0, and 4.0 kHz. There was no significant difference in the synchronised unaided hearing thresholds across individual frequencies between 0.5 and 4.0 kHz. The synchronised functional gain in patients with atresia was significantly greater than in patients with aural atresia or stenosis and middle ear pathologies with normal ear canals. The acceptability of CC-HAs in terms of purchase decision is influenced by the condition of the external auditory meatus and severity of hearing loss, with the highest purchase rate seen in patients with aural atresia or stenosis. CC-HAs’ fitting procedure advantages and cosmetic considerations make these devices a viable and preferred choice for individuals with microtia and aural atresia. Additional research to evaluate the benefits towards emotional well-being is crucial to gain insights into the psychological impact of CC-HA use.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)636-650
Number of pages15
JournalAudiology Research
Volume13
Issue number4
Early online date10 Aug 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 10 Aug 2023

Keywords

  • atresia
  • bone conduction hearing devices
  • cartilage conduction
  • conductive hearing loss
  • hearing aids
  • stenosis

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