What Is a Tendon Reflex?

Tendon reflex is a stretch reflex that occurs when a tendon is rapidly pulled. For example, tapping the quadriceps tendon below the knee joint and pulling the muscle will cause a rapid contraction of the quadriceps, called the knee jump reflex; tapping the Achilles tendon will stretch the calf gastrocnemius, A rapid contraction of the muscle occurs, known as the Achilles tendon reflex. The tendon reflex is characterized in that when the tendon is tapped, the muscle spindle (a proprioceptor) in the muscle is pulled almost simultaneously. ^[1]