Abstract
Objective: To develop a compound system with a synchronized kinematical and electrophysiological method for measuring tendon reflex responses and to evaluate normal reflexes of a volunteer. Design: With the subject relaxed, a hand-held instrumented hammer was used to tap the patellar tendon and record the tapping force, while the reflex linear speed at the ankle and the quadriceps electromyography (EMG) were recorded as measures of the reflex response. The subject is a healthy volunteer exhibiting normal reflexes. Main Outcome Measures: The peak tapping force, peak reflex speed, peak-to-peak T-reflex amplitude, and their dynamic relationship with certain time parameters. Results: The time parameters provide more repeatable measures. At increasing peak to peak T-reflex amplitude, peak reflex speed increased. The output measures indicate their potential values in clinical applications. Conclusions: With appropriate simplifications, the method may be used in clinical practice to quantify more precisely the tendon reflex examination than is currently feasible with standard clinical tests.
