Bone conduction puretone audiometry primarily assesses the integrity of which part of the ear?

Bone conduction puretone audiometry primarily assesses the integrity of the inner ear. This technique involves delivering sound vibrations directly to the skull, bypassing the outer and middle ear. When vibrations travel through the bones of the skull, they stimulate the inner ear structures, including the cochlea, which is responsible for converting sound vibrations into neural signals.

The effectiveness of bone conduction testing is particularly indicative of how well the inner ear, including the hair cells within the cochlea, is functioning. If a patient has conductive hearing loss, bone conduction testing can help determine whether the problem lies in the outer or middle ear as those areas are bypassed during the test. If bone conduction results are normal, despite poor air conduction results, it suggests that the inner ear is functioning well, while the issue could be related to the outer or middle ear.

In summary, bone conduction puretone audiometry specifically evaluates the condition and performance of the inner ear, making it a critical tool in audiological assessments.