When assessing hearing loss, what does a matching BC and AC threshold indicate?

Matching bone conduction (BC) and air conduction (AC) thresholds typically indicate that the hearing loss is sensorineural. In sensorineural hearing loss, both BC and AC thresholds fall within the same range, reflecting dysfunction primarily in the inner ear or auditory nerve, with no additional conductive component affecting the hearing ability.

In this scenario, the thresholds will show that the sound is being processed through both air and bone conduction similarly. This is unlike conductive hearing loss, where there would be a significant gap between air and bone conduction thresholds, indicating some obstruction or dysfunction in the outer or middle ear. Mixed hearing loss presents characteristics of both conductive and sensorineural elements, resulting in behavioral discrepancies between BC and AC thresholds. Normal hearing would be indicated by both thresholds falling within the normal range, not just matching. Thus, the alignment of BC and AC thresholds signifies sensorineural rather than other types of hearing loss.