The knee-jerk

reflex
 OBJECTIVE
• WHAT IS THE KNEE

• WHAT IS A REFLEX ACTION

• WHAT IS THE KNEE –JERK RELEX

• WHAT CAUSE THE KNEEE-JERK REFLEX

 THE KNEE

• THE KNEE IS A HINGE JOINT WHICH ALLOWS THE FEMER BONE IN THIGHT AND
TIBIA IN THE LOWER LEG TO MOVE

• THE KNEES ALSO ALLOW SOME ROTATION

DIAGRAM OF THE KNEE
 REFLEX ACTION

• A REFLEX ACTION IS CAUSED BY IMPULES FROM RECEPTOR FOLLOW ING

A SPECIAL PATHWAY THROUGH NERVES , WHICH DO NOT PASS TO THE BRAIN .

HENCE ITS IS A QUICK AUOMATIC RESPONSE TO A STIMULUS ,NOT INVOLVING TH

BRAIN .

•IT IS IMPROTANT BECAUSE IT PROTECTS THE BOBY FROM DANGER

WHY IS REFLEX ACTION NECESSARY

• IT IS NECESSRY IN ORDER TO PROTECTECT

• KEEP THE BOBY FROM DANGER

• PROLONG THE BODYS SURVIAL

 THE KNEE-JERK REFLEX
• THIS HAPPENS WHEN THERE IS A SHARP TAP ON OF THE LOWER
LEG ( ON THE PATELLAR TENDN ) WHICH LIES JUST BELOW THE
KNEECAP . THE SHARP TAP ON THE TENDON SLIGHTLY STRETCHES THE
QUADRICEPS , THE MUSCLES AT THE FRONT OF THE
UPPER LEG . IN REACTION THESE MUSCLES CONTRACT AND THE
CONTRACTION TENDS TO STRAIGHTEN THE LEG IN A KICKING MOTION
• THE SEGMENT OF THE SPINAL CORD THAT TEST THE KNEE JERK REFLEX ARE
L2, L3 , L4

• THE ABSENCE OF THE KNEE JERK REFLEX IS PALLELLAR REFLEX

• THE MOTOR NEURON IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTRACTION OF THE LEG DURING

THE KNEE JERK REFLX TEST IS THE ALPHA MOTOR NEURONS

DIAGRAM FOR THR KNEE-JERK REFLEX IN ACTION
 Quiz
• WHAT SEGMENT OF SPINAL CORD DOES THE KNEE JERK TEST
A) L2 B) L3 C) L4 D) ALL OF THE ABOVE

• THE ABSENCE OF THE KNEE JERK REFLEX IS KNOWN AS

A) WESTPHAL’S SIGN B) PATELLAR SIGN
D) NONE OF THE ABOVE C) CEREBELLAR SIGN

• WHAT AN OTHER NAME FOR THE KNEE JERK REFLEX

A) SPINAL REFLEX B) CEREBELLAR REFLEX
D) NONE OF THE ABOVE C) PATELLAR REFLEX

• WHICH MOTOR NEURON IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTRACTION

OF THE LEGS DURING THE KNEE JERK TEST

A) MARGINAL CELL NEURON B) SUBLATERAL MOTOR NEURON

C) MOTOR NEURON 5 D) ALPHA MOTOR NEURON
 VIDEO

https://youtu.be/DJLmVSeZ5-c?si=aXPbFCJKBaAiZCTR