🧠 Nervous System🟡 High-yieldSpinal Cord & Nerve Roots

Nerve Root Values and Deep Tendon Reflexes

The spinal nerve roots that supply key muscles and reflexes, used to locate the level of a nerve injury.

Key points

Each muscle group and reflex is driven mainly by particular spinal nerve roots, so testing them shows the level of a problem.
The main deep tendon reflexes and their roots are the biceps (C5, C6), the triceps (C7, C8), the knee (L2, L3, L4) and the ankle (S1, S2).
In the arm, the shoulder is moved mainly by C5, the elbow by C5 and C6, and the small muscles of the hand by T1.
In the leg, hip flexion is mainly L2 and L3, knee extension L3 and L4, and foot movements from L4 to S1.
A lost reflex or a weak muscle points to the root or nerve that carries it, helping to localise the injury.

Reflex roots: ankle S1 and S2, knee L2 to L4, biceps C5 and C6, triceps C7 and C8, small hand muscles T1; test them to localise the injured root.

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🧠 Nervous System🟡 High-yieldSpinal Cord & Nerve Roots

The spinal nerve roots that supply key muscles and reflexes, used to locate the level of a nerve injury.

Each muscle group and reflex is driven mainly by particular spinal nerve roots, so testing them shows the level of a problem.
The main deep tendon reflexes and their roots are the biceps (C5, C6), the triceps (C7, C8), the knee (L2, L3, L4) and the ankle (S1, S2).
In the arm, the shoulder is moved mainly by C5, the elbow by C5 and C6, and the small muscles of the hand by T1.
In the leg, hip flexion is mainly L2 and L3, knee extension L3 and L4, and foot movements from L4 to S1.
A lost reflex or a weak muscle points to the root or nerve that carries it, helping to localise the injury.

Reflex roots: ankle S1 and S2, knee L2 to L4, biceps C5 and C6, triceps C7 and C8, small hand muscles T1; test them to localise the injured root.