Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L01332:reg:3d:p7
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L01332
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 3D (pt 7/13)
Character Range: 240334–243056

in excess of the threshold of reliability for bone conduction are not used in calculating the impairment due to hearing loss.

    For sensorineural hearing loss, whenever the bone conduction HTL exceeds the threshold of reliability, the air conduction HTL for that frequency and side is to be used instead of the bone conduction HTL.

    For conductive hearing loss, whenever the bone conduction HTL exceeds the threshold of reliability, the threshold figure for that frequency and side is to be used instead of the bone conduction HTL.

    The above arrangement gives to the veteran the benefit of any doubt relating to the intrinsic unreliability of bone HTLs.

    Substep 3A: Calculation of accepted hearing loss for types 7, 12, and 15.

    Substep 3A applies to these types of accepted hearing loss:
+ Type 7       Bilateral Conductive deafness
+ Type 12    Right Conductive deafness
+ Type 15    Left Conductive deafness.

    For each type, one of two methods is to be used:

    Method 1 is to be applied if both air and bone conduction HTLs are available. In this case both the air and bone conduction HTLs are calculated and a formula is applied. In calculating the bone conduction HTL, if the bone conduction HTL exceeds the threshold of reliability, the threshold figure for that frequency and side is to be used instead of the bone conduction HTL.

The terms "air conduction PLH (Percentage Loss of Hearing)" and "bone conduction PLH" are used in the formulas.  These are calculated in a way similar to that in which APHL is calculated for other types of deafness.

 Method 2 is to be applied if only air conduction HTLs are available and if it is not practicable or appropriate to obtain bone conduction HTL values as a result of any of the reasons described on page 132.

 Type 7. Bilateral conductive deafness
Method 1 (to be applied if both air and bone conduction HTLs are available): First:
 Air Conduction PHL is to be calculated using right and left air conduction HTL
values, and

 Bone Conduction PLH is to be calculated using right and left bone conduction HTL
values.

 Next:
Using the air conduction and bone conduction PLHs, the PLH for bilateral conductive deafness is calculated by applying the following formula:

                           (A - B) x 100
               Conductive PLH =      100 - B

 (where "A" is air conduction PLH, and "B" is bone conduction PLH).

 No adjustment for age is to be applied to the results of applying the formula. That result is the age adjusted PLH for bilateral conductive deafness.

        Go to -> Step 5 (on page 147).

 Method 2 (to be applied if only air conduction HTLs are available and if it is not practicable or appropriate