The DOI matches its Crossref record; 21 of the 21 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The history of reflex hammers
Open accessAbstract
Following the simultaneous description of muscle stretch reflexes by Heinrich Erb and Carl Westphal in 1875, neurologists used direct finger taps or chest percussion hammers to elicit these phenomena. Because of inadequacies of chest percussion hammers for eliciting muscle stretch reflexes, a variety of hammers were developed specifically for this purpose. In 1888, J. Madison Taylor, working for S. Weir Mitchell at the Philadelphia Orthopedic Hospital, designed the first such "reflex hammer." Taylor's hammer had a triangular rubber head and a short, flattened metal handle. Krauss (1894), Berliner (1910), Troemner (1910), Babinski (1912), and Wintle (1925) also designed popular reflex hammers. Many of these hammers and several others are still in use.
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“Despite modern advances in imaging technology, neurological examinations remain important in lumbar spine disease, and deep tendon reflex (DTR) assessment with a hammer is a mandatory test [1-3].”
From The usefulness of deep tendon reflexes in the diagnosis of lumbar spine diseases: a narrative review (2024) · cites this paper as [1]
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“Therefore, DTR assessment with a hammer is an essential neurological test for lumbar spinal diseases.”
From The usefulness of deep tendon reflexes in the diagnosis of lumbar spine diseases: a narrative review (2024) · cites this paper as [1]
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“The first percussion hammer was proposed by David Barry in 1828; however, the Taylor hammer, devised by John Madison Taylor, is considered the first hammer specifically designed for reflex detection [1].”
From The usefulness of deep tendon reflexes in the diagnosis of lumbar spine diseases: a narrative review (2024) · cites this paper as [1]
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“This was the first report on the diagnostic usefulness of the knee tendon reflex.”
From The usefulness of deep tendon reflexes in the diagnosis of lumbar spine diseases: a narrative review (2024) · cites this paper as [1]
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“The use of percussion for physical examination originated from winegrowers attempting to measure the volume of wine by tapping wine barrels [1,2,5].”
From The usefulness of deep tendon reflexes in the diagnosis of lumbar spine diseases: a narrative review (2024) · cites this paper as [1]
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Citations
Cites
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Source Book of Medical History
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A MANUAL OF DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
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Lectures on the nervous system and its diseases.
Hall, M. (1836) · doi:10.1037/13911-000 · Cited by 51
Source Book of Medical History
(1942) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.1942.02830160080037 · Cited by 37
THE TENDON-JERK AND MUSCLE-JERK IN DISEASE, AND ESPECIALLY IN POSTERIOR SCLEROSIS1
Mitchell, S. W., & Morris, J. (1886) · The American Journal of the Medical Sciences · doi:10.1097/00000441-188610000-00003 · Cited by 34
Pierre A. Piorry (1794-1879), the French “Master of Percussion”
Risse, G. B. (1971) · CHEST Journal · doi:10.1378/chest.60.5.484 · Cited by 20
CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY VOLUME OF THE AMERICAN NEUROLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 1875-1975
Simpson, J. A. (1976) · Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry · doi:10.1136/jnnp.39.8.821 · Cited by 12
Auenbrugger's contribution to cardiology. History of percussion of the heart.
Bedford, D. E. (1971) · Heart · doi:10.1136/hrt.33.6.817 · Cited by 12
Research works printed but not linked: 16
- Auenbrugger L. Inventum Novum ex Percussione Thoracis Hu- mani, ut Sign0 Abstrusos Interni pectoris Morbos Detengendi. Vienna: J.T. Trattner, 1761. Facsimile edition with French, En- glish, and German translations and Neuberger's biography. Vienna and Liepzig: S. Safar, 1922.
- Schiller F. The reflex hammer. Med Hist 1967;11:75-85.
- Swieten G van. The commentaries upon the aphorisms of Dr. Herman Boerhaave, the late learned professor of physick in the University of Leyden concerning the knowledge and cure of the several diseases incident to human bodies. Volume 10, Section 1010. London: Robert Horsfield and Thomas Longman, 9. Ebstein E. Der perkussionshamrner. Ein beitrag zur geschichte der mittelbaren perkussion. Arch f. Gesch Med 1912;6:245-269.
- Flint A, Emerson H. A manual of auscultation and percussion embracing the physical diagnosis ofdiseases of the lungsand heart and of thoracic aneurysm and other parts. Philadelphia: Lea & 1942~306-312. 1765:95-96. 1912;29:1611-1612. Berliner medizinische Central-zeitung 1841; 101 -4. Febiger, 1912:51-53.
- Erb WH. Uber Sehnenreflexe bei Gesunden und bei Rucken- markskranken. Arch Psychiat Nervenk 1875;5:792-802.
- Westphal CF. Uber einige durch mechanische Einwirkung auf Sehnen und Muskeln hervogebrachte Bewegungs-Emheinungen. Arch Psychiat Nervenkr 1875;5:803-834.
- Krauss WC. A neurologist's percussion hammer. J Nerv Ment Dis 28. Mitchell SW. On the muscular reactions known as tendon-jerks and muscle-jerks. Med News 1888;52:677-685.
- Taylor JM. New form of percussion hammer. J Nerv Ment Dis 1888;15:253.
- Solis-Cohen S. John Madison Taylor: an appreciation. Trans Coll Surg (Philadelphia) 1932;54:76-82. [See also Med J and Record 1878;8:689-712. 1910;21:997-998. 1894;2 1:686-688. 1913;50:1712-1715. 1899. 1923;2:1810-1812. 1932;13639-401.
- Mills CK. The nervous system and its diseases. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1898: 173.
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- Mitchell SW. The path of motor and sensory reinforcement. Med News 1890;56:297-299.
- Hinsdale G, Taylor JM. Crossed knee-jerk. J Nerv Ment Dis 1894;19:690-692. [See also T r a n s Am Neurol Assoc
- Hinsdale G , Taylor JM. Crossed knee-jerk, or contra-lateral ad- ductor reflex. Intl Med Mag 1896;4:369-376.
- Watson IA. Physicians and surgeons of America: a collection of biographical sketches of the regular medical profession. Concord, N H Republican Press Association, 1896375-376.
- Rabiner AM, Keschner M. Theory of the mechanism for the B a b i n s k i toe p h e n o m e n o n . Arch Neurol P s y c h i a t 1886,92:363-372. 1894;20:135-1371. 1896;48:207-208. 1926;16313-318.
Cited by
Deep tendon reflexes: A study of quantitative methods
Marshall, G. L., & Little, J. W. (2002) · The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine · doi:10.1080/10790268.2002.11753608 · Cited by 28
Deep Tendon Reflex: The Tools and Techniques. What Surgical Neurology Residents Should Know
Lin-Wei, O., Sang Xian, L. L., Wei Shen, V. T., Yong Chuan, C., Abdul Halim, S., Ghani, A. R. I., Idris, Z., & Abdullah, J. M. (2021) · Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences · doi:10.21315/mjms2021.28.2.5 · Cited by 13
Deep Tendon Reflexes: The What, Why, Where, and How of Tapping
Nick, J. M. (2003) · Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing · doi:10.1177/0884217503253491 · Cited by 10
The usefulness of deep tendon reflexes in the diagnosis of lumbar spine diseases: a narrative review
Morimoto, T., Hirata, H., Watanabe, K., Kato, K., Otani, K., Mawatari, M., & Nikaido, T. (2024) · Cureus · doi:10.7759/cureus.55772 · Cited by 3
History and national survey on reflex hammers: which is the chosen one of Brazilian neurologists?
Disserol, C. C. D., Meira, A. T., Schramm, C. C., Kondo, G. K., Franklin, G. L., Pedroso, J. L., Barsottini, O. G. P., & Teive, H. A. G. (2023) · Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria · doi:10.1055/s-0043-1768697 · Cited by 2
Metadata
- Authors
- Lanska, D. J.
- Affiliations
- University Hospitals of Cleveland (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lanska, Douglas J.
- ORCID
- Lanska, Douglas J.
- Venue
- Neurology
- Published
- 1989-11
- Volume
- 39
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 1542-1542
- ISSN
- 0028-3878 (ISSN-L)
- 1526-632X
- OpenAlex
- W2123282084
- Cited by
- 41
- References
- 21
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Neurology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neurology and Historical Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › History of Medical Practice
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › Medical History and Innovations
- Keywords
- history of neurology, stretch reflex, S. Weir Mitchell, instrument design
- MeSH terms
- Equipment and Supplies, Europe, Neurology, Percussion, Reflex, Stretch, United States, History, 18th Century, History, 19th Century, History, 20th Century
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