Westphal's sign explained

Differential:	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.

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

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Associated conditions

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

• receptor damage, peripheral nerve disease, involving the dorsal(sensory) columns of the spinal cord and cerebellar lesions
• lesions present within the motor cortex of the brain or the pyramidal tracts which it combined with muscular spasms
• complete interruption of sensory and/or motor impulse transmission in the femoral nerve

References

• Book: The Principles of Physiology. Jensen, David Ph.D.. Appleton-Century-Crofts. New York. 1976.

Notes and References

1. Book: C. F. O. Westphal. Über einige durch mechanische Einwirkung auf Sehnen und Muskeln hervorgebrachte Bewegungs-Erscheinungen. Archiv für Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheiten. Berlin. 1875. 5. 803–834.