The aim of this study was to evaluate the residual hearing function and cochlear morphology after auditory nerve implantation via middle ear spaces in rats. A titanium rod (1.5 mm long and 0.3 mm thick) coated with Parylene was inserted in the cochlear apex in the direction of the modiolus in 9 Wistar rats. Auditory brainstem-evoked responses to tone bursts at 2, 8, 12 and 32 kHz were recorded before surgery and on postoperative days 0, 2, 15 and 30. Eight cochleas were examined microscopically. The rod was inside the modiolus in 4, and partly or totally outside the modiolus in 4 animals. Residual hearing was present in all cases. The average threshold shift in cochleas with modiolar implant was 39 +/- 11.2, 54 +/- 9.7, 48 +/- 20.3 and 43 +/- 21.3 dB SPL on postoperative days 0, 2, 15 and 30, respectively. The transmodiolar approach allows a minimally invasive cochlear implantation and a partial hearing preservation. (C) 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel