Definitions for "Bone conduction"
Keywords:  mastoid, cochlea, skull, bypassing, ear
The process by which sound is conducted to the inner ear through the cranial bones.
transmission of sound (mechanical vibrations) from the surface of the skull, such as the bone behind the ear, to the fluids of the cochlea (inner ear). Sounds are then perceived in the usual way. Bone conduction testing is done to help determine if a hearing loss is conductive or sensorineural.
The sensitivity of the cochlea can be tested by placing a small vibrator on the mastoid bone behind the ear. Sounds presented this way travel through the bones of the skull to the cochlea and hearing nerves, bypassing the middle ear. This type of testing is called bone conduction.