w ell when you run into a tsble at night or back into astep,, youlll find out immedialtey. There has been quite a lot of research involving the use of the Achilles reflex. Don't Panic! Fewer neuron fibers need to be activated for the Achilles reflex as compared to the Patellar reflex. b) A person touches a stove, withdraws his or her hand, and then yells. In the case of the monosynaptic knee-jerk reflex, hitting the patellar tendon with a mallet stretches the intrafusal fibers of the spindles in the quadriceps muscle, leading to contraction. The Patellar Reflex and the Achilles Reflex The result is the contraction of the quadriceps muscle, causing knee extension. As well as having an absent or reduced Achilles reflex it is also possible for there to be an exaggerated reflex. The Achilles reflex is a monosynaptic stretch reflex similar to the patellar reflex. Patellar reflex is the stretch reflex of the quadricep femoris muscl View the full answer Transcribed image text: 1. Passmore SR, Bruno PA. Anatomically remote muscle contraction facilitates patellar tendon reflex reinforcement while mental activity does not: a within-participants experimental trial. Response time, path length, and conduction velocity of the patellar and Achilles reflexes. An absent ankle reflex has been described as a definite neurological sign, possibly indicating nerve-root compression (Maurice-Williams 1987; Frymoyer 1991; Donaghy 1993; Dickson and Butt 1995). Routing number of commercial bank of Ethiopia? The physician will then tap on the tendon with a small hammer; dont worry its not painful. The foot should automatically respond by contracting the plantar region. Achilles. What movement does the Achilles tendon do? Is a failure of this system a cause of tremors? Strong collagen fibers make up the Achilles tendon. Repeat for the other two areas. Intrafusal fibers respond to tension in the tissue by depolarizing a sensory neuron. Figured it out. In extreme activities, such as sprinting, it can be subjected to forces as high as 13.0 times a person's weight. As you can see from the above there are some very good reasons as to why your doctor might want to check your Achilles reflex. Who is Jason crabb mother and where is she? Why is the knee- jerk and Achilles reflexes important for walking? The Achilles averages about 15 centimeters (6 inches) in length, but its up to 26 centimeters (10 inches) long in some people. Give the subjects Achilles tendon smart tap to elicit the stretch reflex. The great thing about this test is that it is non-invasive and can be conducted quickly. Surface electromyography (EMG) measures the electrical activity in a muscle by placing recording electrodes on the skin over the muscle. A reflex arc refers to the neural pathway that a nerve impulse follows. The Achilles tendon joins your calf muscles to your heel bone. This type of reflex is a withdrawal reflex and is monosynaptic, meaning only one synapse has to be crossed between the sensory neuron and the motor neuron. The ankle jerk reflex, also known as the Achilles reflex, occurs when the Achilles tendon is tapped while the foot is dorsiflexed. As such, they would have simply called him Achilles. In the Achilles reflex, the hammer taps the Achilles tendon while the foot is dorsiflexed, and the foot, in response, should jerk toward the plantar surface. Increase the duration and intensity of your activity at a gradual pace. Sources: f. A person touches a stove, withdraws his or her hand, and then yells. What is the answer punchline algebra 15.1 why dose a chicken coop have only two doors? When the alpha signal is sent to the muscle, it contracts and the spindle relaxes completely, which stops the stimulation. Its also called the calcaneal tendon. The plantar reflex is a reflex elicited when the sole of the foot is stimulated with a blunt instrument. It's important to note that most Romans knew Greek as it was the. Who is Jason crabb mother and where is she? The subject should curl the fingers of each hand toward its palm form a cup-shaped grip. ii. While the foot is dorsiflex, tap with the reflex hammer briskly on the achilles tendon. The mathematical function, Very important: adjust the zoom on the waves, so that you can, Once the cursors are placed in the correct positions for determining the reflex time, record the value for T2-T1 and record this time, Once the reflex time in the first trial is measured and recorded, move to the data from the, Record the mean reflex time for the Achilles reflex in the Data Table in your, Conduction velocity cannot be measured directly and must be calculated. A reduction in the ankle jerk reflex may also be indicative of peripheral neuropathy. Assume synaptic transmission in this pathway takes about 0.5 msec (o.0005 sec), and calculate the conduction velocity in the nerves composing this reflex pathway by the equation: Record the conduction velocity for the Achilles reflex in your Lab Report. The achilles is found right above the heel. A decreased or absent reflex may mean that there is compression in the L2, L3, or L4 region. Facilitation (reinforcement) may enhance the relative strength (relative amplitude) and/or speed (reaction time, in milliseconds) of a reflex response due to maximal isometric contraction of muscles in a remote part of the body for example, by clenching the jaw or locking the fingers of the two hands and pulling (the Jendrassik maneuver). In the Achilles reflex, the hammer taps the Achilles tendon while the foot is dorsiflexed, and the foot, in response, should jerk toward the plantar surface. The subject should interlock the hands using the cup-shaped grip, attempting to pull the hands apart, DURING reflex recording. It works like this. The muscle spindle then sends this information through sensory neurons to the spinal cord. In this lab, students will record electromyograms (EMGs) for the fibers in a muscle, and use them to determine the time between the stretch of a tendon and the arrival of a motor impulse at the muscle. What muscles are involved in calcaneal tendon reflex? It is also the case that there are certain medical conditions that will mean the reflex might be absent and these include; alcoholism, chronic diabetes, subarachnoid . The knee reflex or patellar reflex is responsible for the knee to extend, which helps maintain posture, balance and step forward. How to Assess the Achilles Deep Tendon Reflex. A teacher walks into the Classroom and says If only Yesterday was Tomorrow Today would have been a Saturday Which Day did the Teacher make this Statement? To determine this, doctors may also test stretch reflexes in the triceps muscle and the Achilles tendon (ankle-jerk reflex) and compare results. The ankle jerk reflex is mediated by the S1 nerve root. Or you could touch a hot object (the stimulus) and jerk your hand back or drop it (the reflex[es]). They involve interneurons, found in the CNS, which further process stimulus and output information. The reflex arc typically consists of five components: Because integrating center processing may occur at the level of the spinal cord rather than requiring impulses to travel to the brain, reflex responses have a relatively short path length and, thus, a quick reaction time compared to voluntary or conscious body movements. Reflex amplitude (strength) and speed with and without reflex reinforcement. All this happens while the person is becoming aware of the burning sensation. Give the subjects Achilles tendon smart tap to elicit the stretch reflex. In the Achilles reflex, the hammer taps the Achilles tendon while the foot is dorsiflexed, and the foot, in response, should jerk toward the plantar surface. Because Achilles was a mortal, he had no existing Roman counterpart. Why are the knee jerk and Achilles reflex important for walking? A Mixed Course-Based Research Approach to Human Physiology by Karri Haen Whitmer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. The velocity of a reflex informs us about the health of the receptors, neurons, and muscles involved in a reflex and can help to diagnose neuromuscular damage or disease. The Achilles reflex is a stretch reflex which means it is a response to a muscle being stretched. This reflex is usually absent in disk herniations at the L5S1 level. The reflex is monosynaptic, two-neuron, reflex arc. A reduced or absent ankle jerk reflex can indicate pathology of the tibial and/or sciatic nerve. This is the simplest reflex arc, and the integrating center is in the spinal cord. The patellar reflex is illustrated in Figure 1. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Beyond simple reflexes with integrating centers in the spinal cord, more complex reflexes have integration centers in the brainstem or even in the cerebrum. Reflex testing is of clinical value. A reflex that protects the body from injury, as this one does, is called a nociceptive reflex. Damage to the Achilles tendon is a common concern. Reflex amplitude (strength) and speed with and without reflex reinforcement. These are basically protective arcs of neurons that work on an unconscious level to regulate the tone of your muscles. The sensory neuron synapses with a motor neuron in the spinal cord that innervates contractile extrafusal fibers. Turn on the iWorx hardware with the switch on the back of the unit. Neurosyphilis is an infection of the spinal cord and brain; it is caused because a person is suffering from untreated syphilis. 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44195 |, Important Updates + Notice of Vendor Data Event, (https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/achilles-tendinitis/), (https://www.foothealthfacts.org/conditions/achilles-tendon-disorders). A positive response is marked by a brisk plantarflexion of the foot. Ask the subject to look away or close his or her eyes and kick his or her leg in response to hearing the noise of the hammer when it taps the bench top. In this lab, two monosynaptic reflexes in a human subject will be studied: the Achilles tendon reflex, and the patellar tendon (knee-jerk) reflex. The Achilles tendon (AT) has the capacity to store and release elastic energy during walking, contributing to metabolic energy savings. Ankle reflex: (S1) Slightly externally rotate at the hip, and gently dorsiflex the foot, tapping the Achilles tendon with a reflex hammer. Can you get a ticket for running a yellow light in Arizona? The reflex can take one of two forms. Tapping the patellar tendon pulls and stretches the quadriceps muscle and causes the sensory receptor of the muscle, called a muscle spindle fiber, to send a signal along the afferent neuron to the spinal cord (Figure 2). With diabetic patients the Achilles reflex can be delayed or absent because of damage to the peripheral nervous system (neuropathy) that occurs when the condition is serious. Thanks for taking the time to dumb it down for me. Stretch reflexes occur in response to the activation of special sensory receptors in the muscle called muscle spindles or stretch receptors.. There are no real risks associated with this test and other than a hammer there is no expensive equipment to be used, and best of all is that it involves minimal discomfort to the patient. Look at the Function Table that is above the display of the EMG channel. A receptor, and independent sensory cell, or an ending of a sensory neuron, reacts to a stimulus (e.g., a stretch receptor). Remove the electrodes over the subjects calf muscle and, if still sticky, place the same set of recording electrodes on the quadriceps muscle of the subject, towards the, Measure the Patellar Reflex Path Length from, Feel the position of the patellar tendon just below the kneecap. The Achilles tendon, also called the heel cord, helps lift your heel off the ground. In some cases, severe Achilles tendonitis can lead to an Achilles tendon rupture, which requires surgery. Use the same equation to calculate the patellar tendon reflex conduction velocity (below). Without They involve interneurons, found in the CNS, which further process stimulus and output information. The reason for this is that it is a good method of providing data when monitoring the performance of individuals with certain medical conditions who may be taking part in research. Facilitation (reinforcement) may enhance the relative strength (relative amplitude) and/or speed (reaction time, in milliseconds) of a reflex response due to maximal isometric contraction of muscles in a remote part of the body for example, by clenching the jaw or locking the fingers of the two hands and pulling (the Jendrassik maneuver). Thanks. A decreased or absent reflex may mean that there is compression in the S1 region. The Achilles reflex is a monosynaptic stretch reflex similar to the patellar reflex. The relaxation phase of the Achilles reflex is abnormally slow in most FMS patients before they begin taking thyroid hormone. Is switch off your brain. There are several kinds of reflexes. As with other tendons, a layer of paratenon cells surround each layer of the Achilles. Reflex actions are involuntary and immediate reactions to a stimulus.Two examples are:Pulling your hand away from a hot object (this is a spinal reflex action)The 'knee jerk' - when the tendon just below the knee is tapped, it causes the thigh muscle to suddenly contract and the foot kicks forward. In the Achilles reflex, the hammer taps the Achilles tendon while the foot is dorsiflexed, and the foot, in response, should jerk toward the plantar surface. Saturday, Jeff Andrews Hendrick Motorsports president and general manager indicated that Elliott was recovering and doing well after three hours of surgery Friday to repair a fractured . The Achilles reflex originates in the S1 and S2 nerve roots. These can amplify or suppress a reflex response and may somewhat vary from subject to subject. The speed of the relaxation phase is a measure of the status of muscle energy metabolism in the calf muscles. They examine the area around your heel and lower leg for: Your healthcare provider may also use tests including: Healthcare providers usually treat calcaneal tendon problems with nonsurgical treatments, including: If you completely rupture your Achilles tendon, you may need surgery as soon as possible. Background: The reflex hammer is an important diagnostic tool used by physicians to test deep tendon reflexes, an essential part of the neurological physical examination in order to assess the peripheral and central nervous system. The Achilles tendon (AT) has the capacity to store and release elastic energy during walking, contributing to metabolic energy savings. The soleus muscle flexes your foot to point your toes downward. Note the result in meters or mm. why is the achilles reflex important in walking. What is the application of a cascade control system? Introduction to the Human Physiology Laboratory & Learning Models, Safety and Compliance in the Human Physiology Laboratory, Scientific Methods and Human Subjects Research, Conducting Background Research in the Sciences, Clinical Techniques: Assessment of Vital Signs, Introduction to Data Acquisition in Human Physiology, Molecules of Life: The Central Dogma and RNA Vaccines, Properties of Blood as a Buffer and Blood Glucose, Body Temperature Homeostasis: Cold Pressor Test, Clinical Techniques: The Neurological Assessment, Assessment of Patellar and Achilles Reflexes, Remote Muscular Control: The Human-Human Interface. It is also applied in neurologic tests to examine the nerve status and the gastrocnemius muscle. The speed of the relaxation phase is a measure of the status of muscle energy metabolism in the calf muscles. In the Achilles reflex, the hammer taps the Achilles tendon while the foot is dorsiflexed, and the foot, in response, should jerk toward the plantar surface. baskin robbins icing on the cake ingredients; shane street outlaws crash 2020; is robert flores married; mafia 3 vargas chronological order; empty sac at 7 weeks success stories Accessibility StatementFor more information contact us atinfo@libretexts.orgor check out our status page at https://status.libretexts.org. Redmayne knows she is living through a golden era for Australia, but also the dawn of something greater for women's sport. Polysynaptic reflexes are more complex, but also more common. She feels connected to both of those things and yet, as she counts her . We also acknowledge previous National Science Foundation support under grant numbers 1246120, 1525057, and 1413739. The doctor will begin the test by grabbing onto the foot and moving it to the dorsi-flexion position (as mentioned above). The effect of pre-existing tension in the effector muscle, or motor activity in other muscle groups, upon reflex responses will be measured. Now have the patient dangle the foot while you dorsiflex it. Reflex actions are involuntary and immediate reactions to a stimulus.Two examples are:Pulling your hand away from a hot object (this is a spinal reflex action)The 'knee jerk' - when the tendon. Different types of reflexes can be signs of serious disorders related to the nervous system. Do daily exercises to stretch and strengthen your calf muscles. Achilles tendon disorders include: Your healthcare provider first does a physical exam to check for Achilles tendinopathy. ANSWERS: 1. dr james. In the case of the monosynaptic knee-jerk reflex, hitting the patellar tendon with a mallet stretches the intrafusal fibers of the spindles in the quadriceps muscle, leading to contraction. It is also the case that there are certain medical conditions that will mean the reflex might be absent and these include; alcoholism, chronic diabetes, subarachnoid hemorrhages, and neurosyphilis. It is important to note that, even with the simplest of reflexes, there are multiple inhibitory and stimulatory influences that can affect the excitability of the motor neuron. This normal response confirms that the Babinski reflex is absent. Instruct the subject to sit on a tall stool or tabletop so that the subjects thighs are supported by the top of the stool and his or her calves hang freely (feet off the floor). Assuming the spindles don't work, the muscles will stretch too far in the other direction and tear. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. (this is a stretch reflex action)-------------------------------------------A reflex action is a sudden reaction to a stimuli (a change in the environment) & often acts to protect you.Some are controlled by the brain (cranial reflexes) such as when you blink as dust lands in your eye, or your pupil gets smaller as light is shone in your eye.Some reflexes are controlled by the spinal cord (spinal reflexes) such as when you touch a hot object or stand on a pin.Some reflexes can have learnt responses so they are calledconditioned reflexes. Peripheral neuropathy is today the most common cause of absent reflexes. These are monosynaptic spinal segmental reflexes. Different results when implementing the JM may be due to differences in the physiology of healthy experimental subjects versus patients (in the clinical setting) who are being assessed for nerve problems. This term dorsi-flexed, means that the angle between the foot and the leg has been reduced. In other words, if you bend your foot towards your leg it is said to be dorsi-flexed. Place one hand on the patella (kneecap), and use the other hand to tap the patellar tendon with the reflex hammer. science. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. My thesis aimed to study dynamic agrivoltaic systems, in my case in arboriculture. The standard response is automatic, causing the toes to flex down toward the pressure and stimulation. The reflex arc typically consists of five components: Because integrating center processing may occur at the level of the spinal cord rather than requiring impulses to travel to the brain, reflex responses have a relatively short path length and, thus, a quick reaction time compared to voluntary or conscious body movements. Test the reflex hammer by lightly tapping on your hand to make sure the signal is read on the lower Hammertime Labscribe screen, only. The Achilles reflex happens when the Achilles tendon is commissioned while the foot . A reflex arc refers to the neural pathway that a nerve impulse follows. The integrity of the L2-L4 vertebral segments of the spinal cord. Using the arrow keys on your key board helps to move the cursor more precisely when you are very close to wave peaks. When reflex response is abnormal, it may be due to the disruption of the sensory (feeling) or motor (movement) nerves or both. Adjust the subjects foot so the joint is in neutral position (see photo, below). What is the reflection of the story of princess urduja? It is helpful to support the ball of the foot at least somewhat to put some tension in the Achilles tendon, but dont completely dorsiflex the ankle. First thing we got to do. At the same level, your spinal cord immediately sends a motor impulse through a separate set of motor neurons. The muscles of your spine on the left side start to lengthen and stretch like a rubber band. It's important to note that most Romans knew Greek as it was the 1. The Achilles reflex is a monosynaptic stretch reflex similar to the patellar reflex. Objective: To determine the conduction velocity of the Achilles tendon reflex arc. Find the point on the patellar tendon that causes the greatest response from the quadriceps muscle. Stretch reflexes occur in response to the activation of special sensory receptors in the muscle called muscle spindles or stretch receptors.. https://iastate.pressbooks.pub/curehumanphysiology/. Problems involving the Achilles tendon are called Achilles tendinopathy. Sensory neurons transmit information from sensory receptors to the central nervous system (CNS) Relay neurons (interneurons) transmit information within the CNS as part of the decision-making process. Stretch reflexes are protective reflexes that ensue to avoid damage due to over-stretching a muscle. Because Achilles was a mortal, he had no existing Roman A Mixed Course-Based Research Approach to Human Physiology, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/1.0/, http://csmbio.csm.jmu.edu/biology/danie2jc/reflex.htm, https://www.dartmouth.edu/~dons/part_1/chapter_8.html, https://iastate.pressbooks.pub/curehumanphysiology/, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. The Achilles reflex is a monosynaptic stretch reflex similar to the patellar reflex. To perform this activity: This page titled 2.7: Patellar and Achilles Reflexes is shared under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Karri Haen Whitmer (Iowa State University Digital Press) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request. The Achilles tendon is located above the heel and connects the gastrocnemius muscle to the tarsal bone of the foot. The Achilles reflex is a form of stretch reflex in which the foot jerks towards its plantar surface when the Achilles tendon is tapped while the foot is dorsiflexed. Achilles reflex. That's the main thing to keep in mind. Tapping the patellar tendon pulls and stretches the quadriceps muscle and causes the sensory receptor of the muscle, called a musclespindle fiber, to send a signal along the afferent neuron to the spinal cord (Figure 2). Peripheral neuropathy is today the most common cause of absent reflexes. The Achilles (calcaneal) tendon is a common tendon shared between the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles of the posterior leg. Tendon reflexes (deep tendon reflexes or tendon jerks) are monosynaptic stretch reflexes, elicited during clinical examination, by percussion of the tendon of a muscle. A stimulus can be bird tweeting during school in your classroom, and you get distracted by it and look. While the foot is dorsiflex, tap with the reflex hammer briskly on the achilles tendon. Checking the Achilles reflex is a method used by medical professionals to make a diagnosis because it allows them to check for nerve damage or damage to neurons on the spinal cord. Once the reflex times in all ten trials have been measured and recorded on your worksheet, discard the longest and shortest times from the data set, and determine the average of the eight remaining reflex times. The Achilles tendon starts in the middle of your calf and extends down to your heel. In extreme activities, such as sprinting, it can be subjected to forces as high as 13.0 times a person's weight. The JM likely amplifies reflexes by decreasing inhibitory signals to the alpha motor neurons that are responsible for muscle contraction at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) (Passmore & Bruno 2012). (2021). This reflex is usually absent in disk herniations at the L5S1 level. Compare to the other foot. The Achilles reflex originates in the S1 and S2 nerve roots. Conditions that impact the Achilles tendon include bursitis, tendinitis, tendinosis and tendon rupture. The causes include diseases such as diabetes, alcoholism, amyloidosis, uremia; vitamin deficiencies such as pellagra, beriberi, pernicious anemia; remote cancer; toxins including lead, arsenic, isoniazid, vincristine, diphenylhydantoin. Tap the tendon smartly with the. But people commonly experience Achilles tendon injuries because of the stress put on this tendon. Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. Take time for a warmup before you exercise. In a nutshell, this is the muscle spindle reflex. Your Achilles tendon connects your calf muscles to your heel bone. A reflex is an involuntary (automatic) response to stimulus that quickly returns the body to homeostasis. 0. The patellar tendon attaches the quadriceps muscle to the tibial tuberosity of the lower leg. The Achilles tendons are the strongest and biggest tendons in your body. The contraction of the extrafusal fibers, that is, contraction of the belly of the muscle, releases tension on the intrafusal fibers, decreasing stimulation to neuron. The knee jerk and achilles reflex are monosynaptic View the full answer Previous question Next question The relative health of the muscle spindle, afferent (sensory) and efferent (motor) neurons, neuromuscular junctions, and the extrafusal (contractile) muscle fibers. The Achilles tendon is located above the heel and connects the gastrocnemius muscle to the tarsal bone of the foot. Locate the heel of the foot and dorsiflex the foot. One area is posterolateral. Achilles tendons can handle about four times a persons body weight. In the latter case, spinal cord damage or damage to upper motor neurons, motor neurons in the brain, may eventually lead to overly reactive reflexes (hyperreflexia). In this analysis, you will perform measurements for the patellar reflex, facilitated patellar reflex (Jendrassik), and the voluntary knee jerk conditions. Intrafusal fibers are not contractile where they associate with the sensory neuron. Many reflex actions which protect the body from damage. Why is the Achilles reflex important in walking? Use an alcohol swab to clean and abrade three regions on the lower portion of the left leg for electrode attachment. walking & producing saliva when you smell food. The Taylor hammer features a high quality steel handle and triangular rubber head and is available in a range of colours. There are three different phases in the walking cycle, stance, push off and swing. The sensory neuron synapses with a motor neuron, which innervates an effector tissue, such as skeletal muscle in order to pull away from painful stimuli. Philadelphia System blockage may hinder pings which is the reason pings are, ANS The problem of cynicism results from a belief that the organization lacks, On the other hand ignoring the museum visitors was a prodigious undertaking The, Does my response reveal my understanding of the text or the in class discussion, Sustainability of Tourism in Great Wall of China.docx, There are also m Dup elim tasks and each corresponds to a bucket of a hash, Expense associated with these plans was 1 billion 945 million and 890 million in, 14 What was the major advantage of Westinghouses alternating current power. It's amazing how the reflexes of a human body works. Legal. Reflex Testing Evaluates afferent nerves, synaptic connections within the spinal cord, motor nerves, and descending motor pathways. The subject should hold hands and arms in front of the chest so that elbows are pointed out. A healed broken bone may still hurt for a variety of reasons, even after it has been set and healed properly. Disorders of the nervous system by Reeve and Swenson accessed at. For the purpose of this exercise, assume that the sensory-motor synapse is at spinal segment S1, which is near the iliac spine, or the upper rim, of the hip bone). The gastrocnemius muscle has two heads that crisscross the knee joint. Graduated from ENSAT (national agronomic school of Toulouse) in plant sciences in 2018, I pursued a CIFRE doctorate under contract with SunAgri and INRAE in Avignon between 2019 and 2022. Repeat the measurement of T2-T1 on the data for all the 10 reflex tap trials by moving the cursors. Last accessed January 22, 2020. What is error code E01-5 on Toyota forklift. 18/02/2022. Some other causes of clonus are, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ankle_jerk_reflex&oldid=1080651965, This page was last edited on 2 April 2022, at 15:30. What stimulates tendon reflexes? It connects the two muscle groups (collectively, triceps surae) to the calcaneus.