ABSTRACT
Reference 69
1. TWO BASIC TYPES OF TESTING
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 8000 Hz 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 specu-
late 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.
