Westphal's sign
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Westphal's sign | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Patellar tendon reflex arc | |
| Differential diagnosis | Peripheral 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]
