Bone conduction implants
Did you know our bones are an effective way to transmit sound vibrations? Learn more about how bone conduction works below.
How your hearing works
Most people hear in two ways: by air conduction (sound travelling through the air to the ears) and bone conduction (sound passing through the bones in the head). They work together to help us listen to and perceive sound.
Problems in your outer or middle ear can restrict sound waves from getting through to your inner ear, resulting in hearing loss. That’s when a bone conduction implant could help.
What is bone conduction hearing?
A bone conduction solution helps you hear by bypassing blocked or impaired parts of the natural hearing pathway, sending vibrations through the bone to the inner ear. There, they are picked up by the hearing nerve and sent to the brain to be interpreted as sound.
Bone conduction solutions can be either surgical implant systems or non-surgical wearable solutions.
Benefits
Benefits of bone conduction
Research and decades of experience have shown that bone conduction implants may offer you or your child:
Clearer, more natural sound quality compared to hearing aids.1
Improved speech recognition in both quiet and noisy situations.2-4
Reduced discomfort and irritation, including a lower risk of recurring ear infections compared to hearing aids.5,6
Supports development of critical language skills for young children with either non-surgical or surgical bone conduction solutions.7,8
How it works
Two bone conduction implant systems
This is an active bone conduction implant system designed to help you hear crisp, clear conversations and vibrant surroundings.
The Osia® System is made up of two key components:
External sound processor
The sound processor captures sounds around you and converts them to a digital signal. It’s connected to the implanted component via a magnetic connection with a digital link to transfer power and sound signal.
Internal implant
The Osia implant is attached to the bone using the stable foundation of the Cochlear BI300 Implant with proven long-term reliability and sound transmission.9,10 In active implantable bone conduction systems, the implant is where the heart of the system (the transducer) sits.
The Osia System is the only active bone conduction system that uses piezoelectric technology to convert the sound signal into vibrations. Its Piezo Power™ transducer is engineered to provide high-frequency performance critical for understanding speech, especially in noisy situations.11
Suitability
Could a bone conduction implant help you?
If you answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions about you or your child, a bone conduction implant may be suitable for you.
- Do you have problems hearing in one or both ears?
- Do you experience sore or irritated ears due to your hearing aids?
- Do you live with chronic ear infections, or have draining ears?
- Have you already had middle-ear surgeries that failed to restore your hearing?
- Was your child born with malformed ears or ear canals?
Find a clinic
Try a bone conduction solution, then decide
If a bone conduction implant system is a treatment option for your child, our Cochlear Baha Start solution allows both adults and children to experience bone conduction hearing before deciding on an implant.
To find out if bone conduction hearing may be right for you or your child, and to arrange a trial, talk to a hearing health professional.
Learn more about bone conduction solutions
Learn more about how non-surgical bone conduction can help you or your child hear.
Learn more about the system that leads the way in active bone conduction hearing, to help you communicate with confidence.
Learn more about our traditional bone conduction system that helps you experience a life full of sound.
Tell us more about your needs and we’ll connect you with the right Cochlear team member.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Who is a candidate for bone conduction solutions?
Adults and children with the following conditions may benefit from bone conduction hearing solutions:
- Single-sided deafness (SSD)
- Conductive hearing loss
- Mixed hearing loss
- Chronic ear infections or draining ears
- Malformed ears or ear canals
You may also benefit if you experience discomfort or irritation when using traditional hearing aids.
How is bone conduction different from hearing aids?
Bone conduction solutions work differently from hearing aids. Instead of amplifying sound through the ear canal, they send sound vibrations through the bone directly to the inner ear, bypassing damaged or blocked parts of the ear. This makes them suitable for people who cannot benefit from traditional hearing aids.
Is bone conduction implant surgery safe?
Bone conduction implant procedures are well-established and typically performed as outpatient surgery. Your surgeon will explain any risks and help you understand whether this option is suitable for you or your child.
Can I try bone conduction before getting an implant?
Yes. Cochlear Baha Start allows adults and children to experience bone conduction hearing without surgery before deciding on an implant.
Can children use bone conduction solutions?
Yes. Bone conduction solutions can be suitable for children with certain types of hearing loss. Non-surgical options like Baha Start are often used for younger children before implant surgery is considered.
Disclaimer
Please seek advice from your health professional about treatments for hearing loss. Outcomes may vary, and your health professional will advise you about the factors which could affect your outcome. Always follow the directions for use. Not all products are available in all countries. Please contact your local Cochlear representative for product information.
For a full list of Cochlear’s trademarks, please visit our Terms of Use page.
In the United States and Canada, the Osia System is indicated for children ages 5 and older.
References
- Flynn MC, Sadeghi A, Halvarsson G. Baha solutions for patients with severe mixed hearing loss. Cochlear Implants Int 2009;10 Suppl 1:43-7.
- Hol MK, Snik AF, Mylanus EA, Cremers CW. Long-term results of bone anchored hearing aid recipients who had previously used air-conduction hearing aids. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2005 Apr;131(4):321-5.
- CLTD5861 Clinical Investigation Report. Cochlear Limited, Sweden. 2026; D2367205
- CLTD5839 Clinical Investigation Report. Cochlear Limited, Sweden. 2025; D2367209
- Ahmad N, Etheridge C, Farrington M, Baguley DM. Prospective study of the microbiological flora of hearing aid moulds and the efficacy of current cleaning techniques. J Laryngol Otol. 2007;121(2):110–3.
- Karaca CT, Akçay SS, Toros SZ, et al. External auditory canal microbiology and hearing aid use. Am. J. Otolaryngol. 2013;34(4): 278-281.
- Hol MK, Cremers CW, Coppens-Schellekens W, Snik AF. The Baha Softband. A new treatment for young children with bilateral congenital aural atresia. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2005;69:973-80.
- Tejani, V. D., Stevens, S., Meyer, A., Bartoshuk, M., Berry, S., Aubuchon, P., Cismas, M., Doolittle, S., Drob, J., Flores, N., Hill, L. M., Levy, E. M., Litton, H., Maher, R., Marchegiani, A., Mauro, L., Moyer, C., Novak, J. L. S., Purdy, J., . . . Murray, G. (2025). Audiological outcomes of the Cochlear Osia 2 bone conduction system implanted under expanded indications in a pediatric population. International Journal of Audiology, 1–10.
- Nelissen RC, Stalfors J, de Wolf MJ et al. Long-term stability, survival, and tolerability of a novel osseointegrated implant for bone conduction hearing: 3-year data from a multicenter, randomized, controlled, clinical investigation. Otol Neurotol. 2014;35(8):1486-91.
- Mylanus EAM, Hua H, Wigren S, et al. Multicenter Clinical Investigation of a New Active Osseointegrated Steady-State Implant System. Otol Neurotol. 2020;41(9):1249-1257.
- Osia 3(I) Sound Processor and OSI300 Implant Datasheet. Cochlear Limited, Sweden. 2026; D2304776
- Hoffman J. Subjective evaluation of clear rich and natural sound. Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions AB, Sweden. 2020; D1788013.