Bone conduction-speech audiometry as a supplementary measuring method before operations for improvement of hearing

Abstract

SUMMARYIn pure-tone audiometry we can get so-called “feeling curves” from totally deaf people. In hard-of-hearing patients with a questionable combined high degree of deafness, it is often impossible to discern whether bone conduction is true or felt. Measurements with masking do not lead to a clear diagnosis, either. In such uncertain cases, we write speech audiograms for air and bone conduction as well. Contrary to the yes/no statement in pure-tone audiometry, speech audiometry in air and bone conduction definitely gives more objective results. There is a pure inner-ear deafness when the two curves coincide. The exceeding bone conduction curve of a speech audiogram shows exactly the real part of the conductive hearing loss and enables us to get a better indication for operations in the middle ear.