ABSTRACT
Two basic types of testing are done with a tuning fork routinely: air conduction and bone conduction. The best all-purpose tuning fork to use is a 512-Hz steel tuning fork. We use a 512-Hz tone because forks of lower frequencies produce a greater tactile sensation that sometimes can be felt rather than heard or that can be felt before the tone is heard. However, tuning forks of various frequencies from 125 to 8000Hz, may be useful in some situations. Although forks of frequencies higher than 512-Hz are attenuated readily, they can supply useful information. With the 512-Hz tuning fork, it is possible for the examiner to obtain a rough estimate of the extent of the hearing loss and to speculate whether the cause is conductive or sensorineural. In some cases it is even possible to establish whether the damage is in the inner ear or in the nerve.
