We are, I trust, all but universally familiar with the knee jerk, or patellar, reflex. A doctor taps the patellar tendon with a rubber mallet, and our leg kicks forward in response. The reaction is ...

Within each tendon one finds a stretch receptor. The latter can be stimulated by tapping the tendon with a rubber mallet, whereupon the associated muscle contracts slightly. This simple reflex forms ...

There are lots of things kids don’t like about doctor’s visits, with shots, blood tests and throat swabs topping the list. But one thing they love is having their knee reflexes checked. A reflex is an ...

The knee-jerk or 'patellar jerk' reflex occurs when the knee is tapped below the knee-cap (patella). Sensors that detect stretching of the tendon of this area send ...

Following our clinical observation of tonic responses in response to the knee jerk in infants at very high risk for cerebral palsy (VHR infants), we systematically studied tonic responses, clonus, and ...

You might have experienced the popular knee jerk in the doctors room or you may have heard of someone having an automatic 'knee-jerk response' to a situation without thinking. Strange, isn't it? Well, ...

The knee jerk reflex can be tested by tapping just below the knee causing the lower leg to suddenly jerk forward. You are working the patella tendon. This is the tendon that runs down from the ...