Execution:
- The patient is in sitting or supine position with the foot to be examined crossed over the other leg
- The examiner then dorsiflexes the patient’s ankle and keeps it supported, so that the patient can completely relax
- The examiner then hits the Achilles tendon above the calcaneus with the reflex hammer that is held with a relaxed wrist between thumb and index finger
Positive Outcome: Hyporeflexia compared to the other side
| Study | Reliability | Sn | Sp | LR+ | LR- |
| Iversen et al. (2013) | NA | 44 | 61 | 1.13 | 0.92 |
| Hancock et al. (2011): L5/S1 Disc Herniation | NA | 48 | 83 | 2.89 | 0.62 |
| Comment: The Achilles Tendon Reflex has a weak association with a lumbar disc herniation at level L5/S1, possible affecting nerves L5 or S1 | |||||
