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What nerve Innervates the Achilles reflex

Author

Andrew Campbell

Published Apr 06, 2026

The Achilles tendon is innervated primarily by the S1 and S2 nerve roots of the Tibial nerve. [7] The Achilles tendon reflex is a stretch reflex, which refers to the involuntary contraction of a muscle in response to passive stretching.

What is the Achilles reflex response?

The Achilles reflex is a monosynaptic stretch reflex similar to the patellar reflex. In the Achilles reflex, the hammer taps the Achilles tendon while the foot is dorsiflexed, and the foot, in response, should jerk toward the plantar surface. The Achilles reflex originates in the S1 and S2 nerve roots.

What nerve is tested in the plantar flexion reflex?

The motor response which leads to the plantar flexion is mediated through the S1 root and tibial nerve. The toes curl down and inward. Sometimes there is no response to stimulation.

Which nerve is responsible for ankle reflex?

The ankle reflex is elicited by holding the relaxed foot with one hand and striking the Achilles tendon with the hammer and noting plantar flexion. Compare to the other foot. The ankle jerk reflex is mediated by the S1 nerve root.

Why is the knee jerk and Achilles reflex essential for walking?

A signal travels through nerve connections between the front of leg muscles and your spinal cord (because this is a reflex) and the back of leg muscles to allow you to walk without thinking about walking.

How the Myotatic reflex is activated by hitting the Achilles tendon?

Alpha motor neurons in the spinal cord cause a brief, rapid contraction of the quadriceps femoris, which causes the leg to extend. Tapping the Achilles tendon behind the ankle and just above the heel activates plantar flexion of the foot. This reflex response is like walking tip-toed or standing on your toes.

What is the L5 reflex?

The action of the semimembranosus and semitendinosus muscles is to extend the hip joint, flex and internally rotate the knee. The MHR is mediated by the tibial portion of the sciatic nerve, primarily by the L5 nerve root and is the only deep tendon reflex useful in the evaluation of suspected L5 radiculopathy.

Which nerve root is affected in a patient with loss of the ankle jerk reflex?

A reduced or absent ankle jerk reflex can indicate pathology of the tibial and/or sciatic nerve.

Where is Achilles tendon reflex?

The ankle jerk reflex, also known as the Achilles reflex, occurs when the Achilles tendon is tapped while the foot is dorsiflexed. It is a type of stretch reflex that tests the function of the gastrocnemius muscle and the nerve that supplies it.

What nerve is carrying the afferent and efferent impulses in patellar reflex?

The quadriceps femoris reflex also called the patellar reflex, is elicited by inducing rapid stretch in the common quadriceps tendon distal to the patella (technically the patellar ligament, but in this functional context, the quadriceps femoris tendon), sending an afferent action potential to the spinal cord via the

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What causes the Babinski reflex?

Reflexes are responses that occur when the body receives a certain stimulus. The Babinski reflex occurs after the sole of the foot has been firmly stroked. The big toe then moves upward or toward the top surface of the foot. The other toes fan out.

Which of the following cranial nerve mediates the corneal reflex?

In regards to the corneal reflex, the afferent arc is mediated by the general sensory afferents of the trigeminal nerve. The efferent arc occurs via the facial nerve. The reflex involves the consensual blinking of both eyes in response to stimulation of one eye.

What nerve is tested in the triceps reflex?

This reflex occurs at the C5-C6 level. The triceps reflex can be obtained by tapping the distal tendon at the posterior aspect of the elbow, with the elbow relaxed at about 90° of flexion. This tests the C7-C8 nerve roots. The pronator reflex can be helpful in differentiating C6 and C7 nerve root problems.

What is medial hamstring reflex?

Medial hamstring reflex elicited with the patient prone: The index finger, placed on the medial hamstring tendon above the knee joint, should be struck with a tendon hammer, looking for contraction of the medial hamstring muscles (semitendinosus and semimembranosus).

What is the quadricep reflex?

(pă-tel’ăr rē’fleks) A sudden contraction of the anterior muscles of the thigh, caused by a smart tap on the patellar tendon while the leg hangs loosely at a right angle with the thigh. Synonym(s): knee reflex, knee-jerk reflex, quadriceps reflex.

What is a Disynaptic reflex?

As a result of this reflex, activation of the Ib afferent causes the muscle to cease contraction, as the alpha motor neuron becomes inhibited. Because this reflex contains an interneuron between the sensory afferent and the motor neuron, it is an example of a disynaptic reflex.

What spinal nerves are involved in the bicep reflex arc?

Specifically, the test activates the stretch receptors inside the biceps brachii muscle which communicates mainly with the C5 spinal nerve and partially with the C6 spinal nerve to induce a reflex contraction of the biceps muscle and jerk of the forearm.

Which nerve transmits motor information to the effector in the light pupillary reflex?

CN III (oculomotor nerve): Pupillary light reflex The oculomotor nerve contains parasympathetic fibers responsible for constriction of the pupils and motor fibers, which influence movement of the eye.

What does an absent Myotatic reflex mean?

Myotatic Reflexes. Myotatic reflexes are stretch reflexes that cause muscle contraction after the muscle is stretched. … Typically, if this reflex is diminished or absent, an LMN lesion is localized to spinal cord segments L4 to L6 (femoral nerve) or to peripheral sensory or motor nerves.

What happens to the hamstrings during the patellar reflex?

Striking of the patellar tendon with a reflex hammer just below the patella stretches the muscle spindle in the quadriceps muscle. … This contraction, coordinated with the relaxation of the antagonistic flexor hamstring muscle causes the leg to kick.

What is equivocal plantar response?

Plantar response is said to be equivocal in following situations: … There is no response to plantar stimulation, particularly if there is paralysis of dorsiflexors. There may be flexion of knee and hip with no movement of toes. There is only fanning out of toes and there is no movement of big toe.

What is the difference between plantar and Babinski reflex?

The differences between these two reflexes are in the receptive fields and the fact that the great toe is flexed in one and extended in the other. … The abnormal plantar reflex, or Babinski reflex, is the elicitation of toe extension from the “wrong” receptive field, that is, the sole of the foot.

What causes an upper motor neuron lesion?

Upper motor neuron lesions occur in the brain or the spinal cord as the result of stroke, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, atypical parkinsonisms, multiple system atrophy, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

What is Nasociliary nerve?

The nasociliary nerve is the sensory nerve to the eye. It enters the orbit through the superior orbital fissure, inside the cone formed by the muscles of the globe. It is on a lower plane, therefore, than the lacrimal and frontal nerves. … This communicating branch passes to the ciliary ganglion (see Abducens Nerve).

What type of reflex is the Ciliospinal reflex?

The ciliospinal reflex is pupillary dilation in response to noxious stimuli, such as pinching, to the face, neck, or upper trunk.. Pathway: The trigeminal nerve or cervical pain fibers, which are part of the lateral spinothalamic tract, carry the afferent inputs of the ciliospinal reflex.

Which cranial nerves are bilaterally innervated?

Anatomy. CN IX is innervated bilaterally and has sensory, parasympathetic, and motor components.