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Westphal's sign

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Westphal's sign
Patellar tendon reflex arc
Differential diagnosisPeripheral nerve disease, Motor cortex lesion

Westphal's sign is the clinical correlate of the absence or decrease of patellar reflex or knee jerk. Patellar reflex or knee jerk is a kind of deep or stretch reflex where an application of a stimulus to the patellar tendon such as strike by a solid object or hammer caused the leg to extend due to such stimulus causes the quadriceps femoris muscle to contract.[citation needed]

It is named for Karl Friedrich Otto Westphal (1833–1890).[1][2]

Associated conditions

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Westphal's sign has a clinical significance used in determining neurological disorders or diseases such as:[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ synd/945 at Who Named It?
  2. ^ C. F. O. Westphal (1875). Über einige durch mechanische Einwirkung auf Sehnen und Muskeln hervorgebrachte Bewegungs-Erscheinungen. Vol. 5. Berlin: Archiv für Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheiten. pp. 803–834.
  • Jensen, David Ph.D. (1976). The Principles of Physiology. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.