Who are typical candidates for bone anchored systems, including the new Ponto system from Oticon Medical?
Audiological indications for Ponto Pro and Ponto sound processors include patients with cnductive or mixed hearing loss, where the bone conduction pure tone average (PTA) in the better ear is better than 45 dB HL. Studies indicate that patients with an air-bone gap of more than 30 dB (PTA) will benefit significantly from a bone anchored sound processor as compared to a traditional air conduction hearing aid (Mylanus, van der Pouw,& Cremers, 1998). In addition, patients with a profound sensorineural hearing loss in one ear and normal hearing in the opposite ear (also known as Single Sided Deafness, or SSD) may be suitable candidates for a bone anchored sound processor. In this case, the sound processor is placed on the poorer ear, and transfers sound to the functioning cochlea. The air conduction PTA for the hearing ear should be better than 20 dB HL. An additional recommended criterion includes a maximum speech discrimination score better than 60%, however, an individual evaluation mus
