Definition:
Flicking the tops of the toes from the plantar surface causes flexion of the toes; a stretch reflex of the flexors of the toes seen in lesions of the pyramidal tracts.
The clinical sign is named after Grigory Ivanovich Rossolimo
Synonym(s) of Rossolimo reflex
Plantar muscle reflex, Rossolimo sign
Method of elicitation
Clinical significance
Flicking the tops of the toes from the plantar surface causes flexion of the toes; a stretch reflex of the flexors of the toes seen in lesions of the pyramidal tracts.
The clinical sign is named after Grigory Ivanovich Rossolimo
Synonym(s) of Rossolimo reflex
Plantar muscle reflex, Rossolimo sign
Method of elicitation
- Patient is asked to lie down in supine position
- Ball of the big toe is hit with a hammer on their volar surfaces or the toes are flicked in an upward direction
- There is an exaggerated brisk flexion of all the toes
Clinical significance
- It is same as finger flexion reflex in the upper limb
- It is seen in patients with pyramidal tract lesions, and is one of a number of Babinski-like responses
- Rossolimo reflexes can als be measured by electrophysiological assessments, and studies demonstrate a quantification method for an established neurological sign. Rossolimo reflex found to be a highly sensitive test in clinical neurological examination . The electrophysiological assessment for this reflex can also serve as an objective marker for evaluation of the severity of spinal cord dysfunction in CTSM.
