For sensorineural hearing loss in the right ear, what would the Rinne test show?

In the context of sensorineural hearing loss, the Rinne test evaluates the relationship between bone conduction (BC) and air conduction (AC) of sound. In individuals with normal hearing or in cases of conductive hearing loss, air conduction is typically better than bone conduction, resulting in AC being greater than BC.

In the case of sensorineural hearing loss, the Rinne test will typically show air conduction being greater than bone conduction as well, because both conduction methods are affected to some degree by the underlying sensorineural pathology. However, in a normal hearing ear, the ability to detect sound through air conduction remains intact. Therefore, for sensorineural hearing loss, the Rinne test results would show that AC is greater than BC, indicating that the perception of sounds is still better through air than through bone, despite the presence of hearing impairment. This outcome is consistent with how sensorineural loss is manifested clinically.

Understanding the rationale behind the Rinne test results helps in differentiating between types of hearing loss, underscoring the importance of this test in pediatric audiology and clinical practice.