NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Scans using ultra-high-spatial-resolution CT within a year of cochlear implantation show new bone formation in many patients, according to a new study.
Among 123 patients, 68% had new bone formation near one or more electrode contacts and 17% had new bone formation around all contacts. The new tissue was associated with a negative effect on long-term residual hearing loss (22.9 dB vs. 8.6 dB in those with no new bone formation, P=0.04), researchers report in Radiology.
"The investigation of new tissue formation around cochlear implants was until now reserved to postmortem studies," said Dr. Floris Heutink of Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. "We identified new bone formation during life with medical-imaging techniques. In our study this finding was related to loss of long-term residual hearing."
The new findings should not worry patients, Dr. Heutink told Reuters Health by email.
"Cochlear implantation tremendously improves speech perception in most implantees, despite the potential presence of new bone formation," Dr. Heutink said. "The findings in this study should be seen as a possible new opportunity to further improve clinical care of (cochlear implants). More research is needed to understand the clinical influence of (new bone formation) and whether preventing (it) could form a next step to further improve the hearing results with (cochlear implants) for the patient."
