For starters, the knee gets top billing in the reflex test for one simple reason: it’s easy to access. You’re sitting on the table in that backless gown, fighting humiliation and cold.

Testing a series of different reflexes gives an indication of the health of your whole nervous system. Now let's follow the path of the knee jerk reflex to see how it works.

The Babinski test can be done quickly with basic tools ... reflex when they’re in a coma — in some cases, they not only pull back the big toe and fan out the other toes but also bend the knee.

They felt the knee jerk — or "patellar-tendon" reflex — in particular could help assess nerve function. Hammers specifically suited to test reflexes ... neurologist's tool box ever since ...

The knee jerk reflex can be tested by tapping just below the knee causing ... over the kneecap (patella), down to the lower leg. The test makes the quadriceps contract and abruptly brings the lower ...