Why does a medical doctor often tests the knee for reflexes? What is it really testing for ? Surely not that single area for a single purpose (reflex). What am I missing?
In: Biology
Neurological lesions.
In simplest terms, the intensity of a reflex can identify where along the neuron path (i.e. brain, spinal cord, muscle) a lesions could be.
For example. An Upper motor neuron (UMN) lesion will increase the intensity of the knee jerk. UMN lesions are those located anywhere between the brain to the spinal cord.
Lower Motor Neuron (LMN) Lesions demonstrate the opposite, it actually decreases the intensity of of the knee jerk. These lesions are located anywhere from the spinal cord to the Muscle itself.
However, the knee reflex is only one part of a physical exam – to reach a firm diagnoses you will need to perform other tests a well as obtain a good history from the patient.
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