Identify the reference
Weighted head with a rubber contact surface. Handle allows a controlled swing. Different patterns include Taylor and Queen Square designs
MEDIVEERSETHE PRACTICAL HUBLOOK CLOSELY / UNDERSTAND CLEARLY
Reflex hammer and neurological examination
Identify the instrument and place tendon reflexes within a wider neurological examination.
REFERENCE GALLERY1 / 1 reference
1
Rubber head
Rubber head: located on the reference instrument. Compare its shape and position with the apparatus used in your practical.
Zoom in, then drag to inspect. Keyboard: + / − to zoom, arrows to pan, 0 to reset. Tap the numbered markers to explore parts.
Reflex hammer — reference view
Image: Samir at English Wikipedia · Source / original · CC BY-SA 3.0Resized and converted to WebP; original colours retained.
Identify and explain
A tendon tap briefly stretches muscle spindles and activates the stretch-reflex pathway.
- Weighted head with a rubber contact surface
- Handle allows a controlled swing
- Different patterns include Taylor and Queen Square designs
Explain the measurement
A tendon tap briefly stretches muscle spindles and activates the stretch-reflex pathway.
Interpret in context
Interpret symmetry and pattern with power, tone, sensation and the patient’s clinical state. One reflex alone does not localise every lesion.
At the viva table
Try answering aloud, then open the suggested answer. Examiner questions vary.
01 / What is the principal afferent for a tendon jerk?
Group Ia afferents from muscle spindles.
02 / Which spinal segments are mainly tested by the knee jerk?
L2–L4, particularly L4, through the femoral nerve.
03 / Which segments are mainly tested by the ankle jerk?
S1–S2, particularly S1, through the tibial nerve.
04 / Why compare both sides?
Symmetry and the broader clinical pattern help interpret the response.