What is "tendon reflex"

Tendon \Ten"don\, n. [F., fr. L. tendere to stretch, extend. See Tend to move.] (Anat.) A tough insensible cord, bundle, or band of fibrous connective tissue uniting a muscle with some other part; a sinew.

Tendon reflex (Physiol.), a kind of reflex act in which a muscle is made to contract by a blow upon its tendon. Its absence is generally a sign of disease. See Knee jerk, under Knee.

Tendon reflex (or T-reflex) may refer to:

• A stretch reflex, when the stretch is created by a blow upon a muscle tendon. This is the usual definition of the term. A common example is the standard knee-jerk response when visiting the doctor. Deep tendon reflex also usually refers to this sense. A deep tendon reflex is often associated with muscle stretching. Tendon reflex tests are used to determine the integrity of the spinal cord and peripheral nervous system, and they can be used to detect the presence of a neuromuscular disease.
• The Golgi tendon reflex, motivated by that the sensory receptors for this reflex are anatomically located in the tendon, while the sensory receptors for the stretch reflex are actually inside the proper muscle.