Reliable Hearing by Design: MED-EL’s BONEBRIDGE
Thousands of recipients rely on BONEBRIDGE’s technology to enjoy their lives day after day. That’s why we made BONEBRIDGE safe and reliable by design.
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Our Philosophy: 360° Safety and Reliability
We designed BONEBRIDGE with a broad 360-degree view of what’s needed to make a bone conduction implant system safe and reliable. Not only is it engineered to withstand impact and keep your skin healthy. We also designed BONEBRIDGE to avoid complications, give you easy access to MRI scans,* and make everyday hearing simple with a reliable audio processor.
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With our complete 360-degree approach, it’s no coincidence BONEBRIDGE provides outstanding reliability.
Implant Reliability
With thousands of implantations worldwide and over a decade on the market, BONEBRIDGE has a proven track record of outstanding reliability.
Impact Safety
We engineered BONEBRIDGE for impact resistance. It has a robust titanium design recessed partly in the bone for protection and is secured at two points instead of only one.
MRI Safety*
BONEBRIDGE’s advanced magnet technology enables straightforward and easy access to 1.5 Tesla MRI scans.*
Clinical Safety
BONEBRIDGE has a lower rate of complications and adverse events than percutaneous and passive transcutaneous bone conduction implants.[ft]
Skin Safety
BONEBRIDGE is placed under your skin to transfer vibrations directly to the bone. Its ergonomic design allows your skin to remain healthy.
Audio Processor Reliability
We designed BONEBRIDGE’s audio processors to provide outstanding reliability. That means fewer visits to your clinic.
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Over a Decade of BONEBRIDGE
Working closely with surgeons and clinicians, we optimized the second-generation BONEBRIDGE to be as safe and reliable as possible. With over a decade of clinical experience and thousands of implantations worldwide, BONEBRIDGE has a proven track record of outstanding reliability.
- 360° reliability by design
- Lower complication rate[ft]
- Unmatched, long-term clinical experience
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The Value of a Reliable Bone Conduction Implant
Choosing a hearing implant is a life-long decision. With BONEBRIDGE, you’ll have hearing you can always count on. Higher implant reliability can lead to a lower risk of additional surgery and higher satisfaction.
The Cumulative Survival Rate (CSR) is the measure of how reliable each implant model is over time. For example, a CSR of 99% within two years means that the probability of your bone conduction implant providing continued benefits after two years is 99%.
A Robust, Long-Lasting Implant
MED-EL reporting on implant reliability and safety is compliant with International Standard ISO 5841-2:2014 and the principles set out in the European Consensus on Cochlear Implant Failures and Explantations.[ft][ft]
The cumulative survival rate of the second-generation BONEBRIDGE is 99.51% within four years.
MED-EL, Data as of January 2, 2024
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Proven Experience in Clinics
Clinics that work with hearing implants often publish studies on the safety and reliability of each hearing implant. These independent studies can help you gain a deeper understanding of how safe and reliable each implant is.
A Lower Rate of Complications and Adverse Events
We summarized the findings of independent studies that reported on safety outcomes with bone conduction hearing systems available on the market.
This systematic review of studies published using data from clinics shows that BONEBRIDGE has a lower rate of complications and a lower rate of adverse events than percutaneous and passive transcutaneous bone conduction implants.[ft]
A Systematic Review, rev. 5.0 (2020).
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Very Reliable Against Impact
Accidents can happen in everyday life. That’s why we made sure that BONEBRIDGE is robust enough to withstand sudden forces, like accidentally hitting your head.[ft] This is very important for energetic children or people who often do sports.
Since it is secured at two points fully underneath your skin and recessed partly in the bone for protection, BONEBRIDGE is very reliable against impact.
Some other bone conduction implants are not secured underneath your skin or are only attached at one point. These implants face an increased risk that they could be damaged by external forces in an accident.
- Secured at two points
- Nothing sticking out through your skin
- Impact resistant up to 2.5 joules[ft]
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No Permanent Wounds, No Pressure
With BONEBRIDGE, there are no open wounds or skincare routines to worry about. BONEBRIDGE allows your skin to remain healthy over the implant.
Some bone conduction devices, such as headbands, need to be pressed tightly against your skin to transmit vibrations. This constant pressure can be uncomfortable or may cause headaches.
BONEBRIDGE doesn’t rely on pressure. Instead, the externally-worn SAMBA 2 audio processor sits comfortably on your head and is easy to hide under your hair. In fact, users sometimes forget they are even wearing their SAMBA 2 audio processor.
- Skin can remain healthy over the implant
- No open wounds
- No uncomfortable pressure
/medel_2020_eye5_danielzangerl_337.jpg?auto=format&sfvrsn=62c39e43_3 "BONEBRIDGE is made for your future")
Made for the Future
BONEBRIDGE’s robust design means you can benefit from years of great hearing.
We design our audio processors to be backwards compatible. This means that you can easily benefit from future advances in technology by upgrading to the latest audio processor.
We also developed BONEBRIDGE with magnet technology made for MRI to give you easy access to MRI scans.*
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Great Protection. Guaranteed.
With BONEBRIDGE, you’ll be prepared for whatever the future might bring. You can undergo hassle-free MRI scans at 1.5 Tesla* with no surgery,** no discomfort, and no hearing downtime. And because of our long and positive experience with MRIs, we even offer a life-long MRI guarantee for your implant.***
Reliable Hearing for Everyday Activities
BONEBRIDGE’s audio processors—SAMBA and SAMBA 2—have a proven record of providing outstanding reliability. With a reliable audio processor, you or your loved one will have reliable hearing no matter what each day brings. It also means fewer visits to your clinic.
Low Average Monthly Repair Rate
The monthly repair rate is a percentage that indicates the total number of audio processors returned in a month compared to the total number sold by the end of that month.
If an audio processor has an average monthly repair rate of 0.99%, it means that, on average, 99 audio processors have been returned for repair each month out of 10,000 total audio processors sold in the world by the end of the period covered.
SAMBA and SAMBA 2 have low average monthly repair rates.
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Choosing an Active Bone Conduction Implant
You deserve a bone conduction hearing system that is safe and reliable by design. When choosing between the two active bone conduction implant systems presently available on the market, there are several important factors to keep in mind.
| BONEBRIDGE | Osia**** | |
| Manufacturer reports cumulative survival rate of the entire active bone conduction implant according to International Standard ISO 5841-2:2014 [ft][ft][ft] | ||
| Minimal skin strain thanks to ergonomic, rounded design [ft][ft] | ||
| No large bump sticking out under the skin behind your ear [ft][ft] | ||
| Proven electromagnetic transducer design for over a decade | ||
| Secured at two points to provide additional stability [ft][ft] | ||
| Impact-tested to demonstrate implant can withstand impacts up to 2.5 joules [ft] | ||
| Unmatched, long-term clinical experience for over a decade [ft] |
/medel_sommer_22_danielzangerl_135.jpg?auto=format&sfvrsn=63c39e43_3 "You deserve a safe and reliable bone conduction hearing system")
Reliable Hearing You Can Trust
From the very beginning, MED-EL has been guided by our founders, the inventors of the modern micro-electronic multichannel cochlear implant. Our mission is to overcome hearing loss as a barrier to communication and quality of life.
To us, reliability is not a percentage on an earnings report for investors. Every recipient is a person, not a number. When you choose MED-EL, we know you are putting your trust in our hands, so we make sure we are always there for you.
* The BONEBRIDGE bone conduction implant is MR conditional. Recipients with BONEBRIDGE may be safely MRI scanned at 1.5 Tesla following the conditions detailed in the instructions for use.
** Unless required for diagnostic reasons.
*** The terms and conditions of the MRI Guarantee can be found here.
**** Osia is a trademark of Cochlear Ltd, Australia.
