title: The otologist's tuning fork examination--are you striking it correctly?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if the manner in which a tuning fork is activated affects its vibrational response.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diagnostic test assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hearing Center of Excellence laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Polytec OFV-5000 scanning vibrometer was used to measure the vibrational response of 256-Hz, 512-Hz, and 1024-Hz tuning forks after activation. The tuning forks were activated to varying intensities by striking 4 unique surfaces: the head, palm, a metal surface, and a wood table.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The fundamental frequency of the individual tuning fork was the dominant observed frequency in all testing scenarios. Additional nonharmonic frequencies were noted when the 256-Hz and 512-Hz tuning forks were struck off metal and wooden surfaces.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Additional nonfundamental sound frequencies produced secondary to striking a tuning fork off a metal object or a wooden table could affect clinical tuning fork examination and complicate decisions regarding surgical candidacy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA jayne.r.stevens@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jayne R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Travis J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Pfannenstiel
mesh_terms: D001844:Bone Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006320:Hearing Tests / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
keywords: fundamental frequency; scanning vibrometer; tuning fork