Diagnostics glossary

---

 

Tuning fork: Weber-Rinne test

Weber Test: By placing the vibrating tuning fork on the middle of the skull's sagittal line or the middle of the forehead the osseous sound conduction is tested in side comparison.

• normal hearing: The patient hears the sound in the midline or on each side with the same intensity
• unilateral sound perception disorder: the sound is lateralized to the healthy or the better ear
• unilateral sound conduction hearing impairment: the sound is lateralized to the worse ear

Rinne Test: By placing the vibrating tuning fork onto the mastoid the osseous conduction of each individual ear is tested; by placing it in front of the ear canal the air conduction is tested.

• If air conduction is louder than osseous conduction, the Rinne test is positive: there is no or minimal impairment of sound wave conduction.
• If air conduction is lower than osseous conduction, the Rinne test is negative: there is a sound wave conduction hearing impairment of at least 20 decibel