The Knee jerk reflex is observed during a neurological exam by striking the knees directly with a hammer when the patient's leg is relaxing. Striking the patellar ligament with a reflex hammer just below the patella stretches the muscle spindle in the quadriceps muscle. After the tap of a hammer, the leg is normally extended once and comes to rest.
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Simulation Type |
Condition, Using interactive animation |
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Gender Specific |
No, Common for both genders |
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Condition Simulated
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● Slight reflex(Normal)-rated as 2+ ● Super-normal (hyper-reflexic) rated as 3+ ● Clonus: Repetitive shortening of the muscle after a single stimulation rated as 4+ ● No evidence of contraction rated as 0 (Westphal's sign) |
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Procedure |
● The user can select the position of the patient to be tested.The testing can be done in sitting position and in supine position of the patient. ● The system will display patient's leg hanging downwards and can move freely, click on the ‘Strike’ button and a toggle button to change the legs. ● Hit "Strike" button to strike on patient’s knee with a hammer. ● An animation showing patient’s leg will be played. ● Note the rate of patient’s leg movement. ● Patient's response rate will will be indicated in a response box. |