Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Artefact Reduction Possibilities with the New Active Transcutaneous Bone Conduction Implant (Bonebridge BCI602)

Purpose: Evaluation of the possibilities of artefact reduction using different anatomical implant positions with the Bonebridge BCI 602 for a patient with an acoustic neuroma requiring regular MRI diagnostics of the respective position. Material & Methods: Three implant positions and MRI examinations with and without customized sequences for metal artefact suppression were investigated. The diagnostic usefulness was rated by a radiologist (qualitative evaluation), and the relation between the area of artefact and the total head area was calculated (%) (quantitative evaluation). Results: Following the qualitative analysis, the Radiologist rated the superior to middle fossa implant placement significantly better for diagnostic purposes, which is in agreement with the calculated artefact ratio (P<0.0001). The customized SEMAC-VAT WARP sequences significantly decreased the relative artefact area between 5.13% up to 25.02%. The smallest mean artefact diameter was found for the superior to middle fossa position with 6.80±1.30 cm (range: 5.42 - 9.74 cm reduction of 18.65%). Conclusion: The application of artefact reduction sequencing and special anatomical implant positioning allows regular MRI in patients with the BCI602 without sacrificing diagnostic imaging quality for tumor diagnosis.