What indicates a negative Rinne test result?

A negative Rinne test result signifies that bone conduction is greater than air conduction. This outcome suggests that there is a conductive hearing loss in the ear being tested. Normally, air conduction should be greater than bone conduction (a positive Rinne test), indicating healthy hearing function, as sound travels more efficiently through the air than through bone.

In cases of conductive hearing loss, blockages or damage to the ear canal, eardrum, or ossicles can impair air conduction while bone conduction remains intact, leading to the situation where bone conduction is perceived as better than air conduction — hence, the negative result.

The other choices do not accurately reflect the implications of the Rinne test. Having air conduction greater than bone conduction indicates normal hearing, equal conduction denotes no differential loss but does not specify hearing quality, and lateralization seen in the Weber test points towards the ear status but does not directly indicate the Rinne test outcome.