Rinne test

The Rinne test of hearingcompares perception of sounds, as transmitted by airor by sound conduction through the mastoid.

In a normal ear, air conduction (AC) is better than bone conduction (BC)

AC > BC, positive Rinne.

In conductive hearing loss, bone conduction is better than air

BC > AC, negative Rinne.

In sensorineural hearing loss, bone conduction and air conduction are both equally depreciated, maintaining the relative difference of

AC > BC, positive Rinne.

In sensorineural hearing loss patients there may be a false negativeRinne

BC > AC,

if the normal ear is not masked, and bone conduction heard in the normal ear is reported as louder by the patient.

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It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rinne+test Wikipedia article Rinne test.