{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,23]],"date-time":"2026-07-23T09:48:25Z","timestamp":1784800105292,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,11]],"date-time":"2024-10-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1728604800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Audiology Research"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Objectives. This study aimed to compare the audiological benefits of a non-implantable wearable option for a bone conduction (BC) implant mounted on an arch (SoundArc) to those of traditional BC hearing aids (HAs) mounted on eyeglasses (BCHAs) in patients with moderate to severe conductive or mixed hearing loss. Methods: A preliminary cross-sectional observational prospective cohort study was conducted in the Tertiary Audiological Department, University Hospital. Fourteen adults with conductive or mixed hearing loss (PTA at 0.5-1-2-4 KHz = 67 \u00b1 15 dB HL) who had been wearing conventional BCHAs mounted on eyeglasses for at least 3 years and had declined surgical implantation of a bone conduction hearing implant (BCHI) were included in the study. Unaided and aided pure-tone air conduction (AC) and bone conduction (BC) thresholds, as well as speech tests in quiet and noise, were recorded at baseline and in two different settings: with a BCHI mounted on SoundArc\u00ae and with their own BCHAs mounted on eyeglasses using two couplers. Participants completed questionnaires in both conditions, including the International Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA), the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults\/Elderly (HHIA\/E), the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ), a 10-point visual analog scale (VAS), and the Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS). Results: A significant functional gain was observed in both settings (p = 0.0001). Better speech perception in quiet and noise was observed with SoundArc compared to conventional BCHAs on eyeglasses (improvements in word repetition scores in noise: +19.3 at SNR +10 dB, p = 0.002; +12.1 at SNR 0 dB, p = 0.006; and +11.4 at SNR \u221210 dB, p = 0.002). No significant differences were found in IOI-HA, FIS, and HHIA\/E scores. However, significantly better SSQ scores were reported for SoundArc in all domains (p = 0.0038). Conclusions: Although patients were accustomed to using BCHAs mounted on eyeglasses, the bone conduction wearable option of the BCHI (SoundArc) proved to be a viable alternative for adult patients with conductive or mixed hearing loss who are unable or unwilling to undergo BCHI surgery.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/audiolres14050075","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,11]],"date-time":"2024-10-11T08:54:27Z","timestamp":1728636867000},"page":"893-902","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["A Non-Surgical Wearable Option for Bone Conduction Hearing Implants: A Comparative Study with Conventional Bone Conduction Hearing Aids Mounted on Eyeglasses"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7514-5624","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Federica","family":"Di Berardino","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Audiology Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Ca\u2019 Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8243-1653","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giovanni","family":"Ciavarro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Otorhinolaringology and Otoneurosurgery, Head and Neck Department, University-Hospital of Parma, 43121 Parma, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giulia","family":"Fumagalli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Claudia","family":"Albanese","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Independent Researcher, 20100 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1256-3321","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Enrico","family":"Pasanisi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Otorhinolaringology and Otoneurosurgery, Head and Neck Department, University-Hospital of Parma, 43121 Parma, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8116-4108","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Diego","family":"Zanetti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Audiology Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Ca\u2019 Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vincenzo","family":"Vincenti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Otorhinolaringology and Otoneurosurgery, Head and Neck Department, University-Hospital of Parma, 43121 Parma, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"513","DOI":"10.1097\/MAO.0000000000003491","article-title":"Consensus Statement on Bone Conduction Devices and Active Middle Ear Implants in Conductive and Mixed Hearing Loss","volume":"43","author":"Maier","year":"2022","journal-title":"Otol. 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