What nerve is used to elicit the Achilles reflex?
The ankle reflex is elicited by holding the relaxed foot with one hand and striking the Achilles tendon with the hammer and noting plantar flexion. Compare to the other foot. The ankle jerk reflex is mediated by the S1 nerve root. Click to see full answer. Consequently, what nerve is tested in the Achilles reflex?
What is the Achilles tendon reflex?
The Achilles tendon reflex is a stretch reflex, which refers to the involuntary contraction of a muscle in response to passive stretching.
What is the LMN of the Achilles reflex?
The LMN of the Achilles reflex consists of the ventral horn of the S1 nerve root and the tibial nerve. Indications The Achilles reflex test is performed as part of any complete physical exam, particularly when assessing the neurologic functions of the lower extremities.
Can a peripheral nerve injury cause Achilles tendinopathy?
Studies done on animals have shown that an injury to a peripheral nerve can negatively affect the strength and quality of the collagen in the connective tissue (a rat MCL in this case) below the level of injury. It also appears that people who have had sciatica in the past may be more susceptible to Achilles tendinopathy in the future.
What nerve root does the Achilles reflex test?
In the Achilles reflex, the hammer taps the Achilles tendon while the foot is dorsiflexed, and the foot, in response, should jerk toward the plantar surface. The Achilles reflex originates in the S1 and S2 nerve roots.
Which nerve is responsible for ankle reflex?
The ankle jerk reflex is mediated by the S1 nerve root. The plantar reflex (Babinski) is tested by coarsely running a key or the end of the reflex hammer up the lateral aspect of the foot from heel to big toe. The normal reflex is toe flexion.
What causes loss of Achilles reflex?
The deep tendon reflex depends on the integrity of both the upper motor neuron and the lower motor neuron. As a general rule, disease/injury of the lower motor neuron (e.g., nerve roots or peripheral nerves) will cause a reduction or loss of a reflex.
What nerve is tested in the Achilles reflex quizlet?
-The Achilles reflex checks if the S1 and S2[3] nerve roots are intact and could be indicative of sciatic nerve pathology. It is classically delayed in hypothyroidism. This reflex is usually absent in disk herniations at the L5—S1 level.
What are the components of the Achilles reflex arc?
The deep tendon reflex arc is divided into the upper motor neuron (UMN) component and the lower motor neuron (LMN) component.
How do you test for Achilles tendon reflex?
How to Assess the Achilles Deep Tendon ReflexFind the achilles tendon.Locate the heel of the foot and dorsiflex the foot. The achilles is found right above the heel.Now have the patient dangle the foot while you dorsiflex it.While the foot is dorsiflex, tap with the reflex hammer briskly on the achilles tendon.
What nervous system controls reflexes?
In addition to regulating the voluntary movements of the body, the somatic nervous system is also responsible for a specific type of involuntary muscle responses known as reflexes, controlled by a neural pathway known as the reflex arc.
Can nerve damage affect reflexes?
If you have neuropathy, you may notice other symptoms as well as changes to your reflexes, such as: Numbness, prickling, or tingling in your hands or feet. Lack of coordination or falling.
Which nerve root is affected in a patient with loss of the ankle jerk reflex?
A reduced or absent ankle jerk reflex can indicate pathology of the tibial and/or sciatic nerve.
What is the normal response for the Achilles reflex quizlet?
What is the normal response to the Achilles reflex (ankle jerk)? The normal response to the achilles reflex is contraction of the triceps surae muscle and thus plantar flexion of the foot.
Which nerve roots are tested when the patellar reflex is checked quizlet?
The patellar reflux involves the rapid contraction of QUADRICEPS FEMORIS when a stretched patellar ligament is tapped. The result is rapid knee extension. The reflex tests the function of the L4 segment of the spinal cord and the corresponding nerve roots.
What is a reflex arc in the nervous system?
The reflex arc is a special type of neural circuit that begins with a sensory neuron at a receptor (e.g., a pain receptor in the fingertip) and ends with a motor neuron at an effector (e.g., a skeletal muscle).
The metabolic rehabilitation of fibromyalgia patients
The relaxation phase of the Achilles reflex is abnormally slow in most FMS patients before they begin taking thyroid hormone. The speed of the relaxation phase is a measure of the status of muscle energy metabolism in the calf muscles.
MULTIFOCAL NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE AND ITS MANAGEMENT
Kenneth W. Lindsay PhD FRCS, ... Geraint Fuller MD FRCP, in Neurology and Neurosurgery Illustrated (Fifth Edition), 2010
Examination of the Reflexes
In one study of adult outpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus the absent Achilles reflex detected peripheral neuropathy (defined by nerve conduction testing) with a sensitivity of 92%, specificity of 67%, positive LR = 2.8, and negative LR = 0.1.42 This indicates that in diabetic patients, the presence of the ankle jerk greatly decreases probability of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (LR = 0.1).
NEUROPATHIC PROBLEMS OF THE LOWER LIMBS IN DIABETIC PATIENTS
ROBERT J. TANENBERG, PETER D. DONOFRIO, in Levin and O'Neal's The Diabetic Foot (Seventh Edition), 2008
The neurological examination
Muscle reflexes are present in the healthy neonate. Knee jerks, ankle jerks, and biceps reflexes are usually easy to elicit. Ankle clonus may be present and, if so, is not an abnormal sign. Abdominal reflexes are also present, but may be difficult to demonstrate unless the infant is suitably relaxed.
Intoeing gait
The following reflexes are included in the lower limb and gait evaluation of children:
Neurologic Aspects of Systemic Disease Part II
The peripheral neuropathy of hypothyroidism is usually relatively mild and predominantly sensory. Knee and ankle reflexes are reduced, distal vibration and joint position sense are mildly impaired. The patient may describe episodes of lancinating pain ( Pollard et al., 1982 ).
What is the Achilles reflex?
It is a type of stretch reflex that tests the function of the gastrocnemius muscle and the nerve that supplies it.
What is Grade 4 hyper reflexia?
Grade 4 ankle hyper reflexia is called ankle clonus. There is repetitive ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion on passive dorsiflexion of the foot by the examiner till the force applied by the examiner is withdrawn.
Can you dorsiflex your ankle?
Ankle of the patient is relaxed. It is helpful to support the ball of the foot at least somewhat to put some tension in the Achilles tendon, but don’t completely dorsiflex the ankle. A small strike is given on the Achilles tendon using a rubber hammer to elicit the response.
Is a deep tendon reflex a stretch reflex?
Being a deep tendon reflex, it is monosynaptic. It is also a stretch reflex. These are monosynaptic spinal segmental reflexes. When they are intact, integrity of the following is confirmed: cutaneous innervation, motor supply, and cortical input to the corresponding spinal segment.
What nerve runs down your legs?
In truth, we’re not entirely sure, but it appears that your peripheral nerves may have something to do with it. Your peripheral nerves in your legs run all the way from your lower back, down your legs and into the tips of your toes. One of the most well-known ones is the Sciatic nerve.
Why do runners have Achilles tendonitis?
We’ve written a lot in the past about all the different causes for Achilles tendinopathy in runners which include things like pushing your mileage too quickly, too many high intensity sessions and not allowing enough recovery time. These types of training errors usually cause a reactive tendinopathy where the tendon is very painful and irritated. But there’s a “silent” type of tendinopathy that has been baffling clinicians and researchers, because it seems to develop in even very sedentary individuals where there’s no training error that we can blame.
What is the role of neural tension?
The role that increased neural tension plays. Our nervous system is continuous from our brains to the tips of our toes. As we move our limbs, our nerves in our legs (the peripheral nerves) are meant to slide freely. Sometimes they can get a bit stuck, causing them to be compressed and to be stretched when we move.
Is Achilles tendinopathy silent?
I say it’s a “ silent” tend inopathy because these individuals usually don’t have any of the typical symptoms ( like pain and stiffness) that we associate with Achilles tendinopathy in the more active population. Interestingly, it is also this group of patients who are much more likely to rupture their tendons.
Can sciatica cause Achilles tendonopathy?
It also appears that people who have had sciatica in the past may be more susceptible to Achilles tendinopathy in the future. What this suggests is that an injury to the nerves that supply your Achilles tendon may cause some of the degenerative changes that we see in tendinopathies.
Overview
Absent ankle jerk
The Achilles reflex checks if the S1 and S2 nerve roots are intact and could be indicative of sciatic nerve pathology. It is classically delayed in hypothyroidism. This reflex is usually absent in disk herniations at the L5—S1 level. A reduction in the ankle jerk reflex may also be indicative of peripheral neuropathy.
• Lumbar herniated disk syndrome
Root value
This reflex is mediated by the S1 spinal segment of the spinal cord.
Procedure and components
Ankle of the patient is relaxed. It is helpful to support the ball of the foot at least somewhat to put some tension in the Achilles tendon, but don’t completely dorsiflex the ankle. A small strike is given on the Achilles tendon using a rubber hammer to elicit the response. If the practitioner is not able to elicit a response, a Jendrassik maneuver can be tried by having the patient cup their fingers on each hand and try to pull the hands apart. A positive response is marked by a brisk plantarflexion of …
Ankle clonus
Grade 4 ankle hyper reflexia is called ankle clonus. There is repetitive ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion on passive dorsiflexion of the foot by the examiner till the force applied by the examiner is withdrawn.
Any spinal cord lesions, be it traumatic, neoplastic, pyogenic, vascular above the level of S1 can cause clonus. This is because of the spasticity caused by the UMN type of injury causing hyper r…
See also
• Tonic vibration reflex