Rinne’s Test
Rinne’s test is a clinical screening tool used to differentiate between conductive and sensorineural hearing loss by comparing air conduction (AC) and bone conduction (BC).
Procedure
- Step 1 (Bone Conduction): Strike a 512 Hz tuning fork and place the base against the patient’s mastoid process. Ask the patient to signal when they stop hearing the sound.
- Step 2 (Air Conduction): Immediately move the vibrating tuning fork near (but not touching) the external auditory canal. Ask if the patient can still hear the sound.
Interpretation
| Result | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| Rinne Positive | AC > BC (Normal or sensorineural hearing loss). |
| Rinne Negative | BC > AC (Conductive hearing loss). |
High-Yield Exam Pearl:
- False Negative Rinne: Can occur in severe unilateral sensorineural hearing loss. If the sound vibrates the skull enough to be heard by the contralateral (healthy) ear, the patient may report hearing it longer via bone conduction, mimicking conductive loss. Always use a masking noise in the non-test ear to prevent this.