DTR

Deep Tendon Reflex(s): Also referred to as ‘muscle stretch reflex.  An examination of the sensitivity of muscles to a sensory input.  The tendon of a muscle is tapped by an examination hammer (tendon stretched), the muscle senses the stretch and sends a signal to the spinal cord, the spinal cord reacts to this signal (afferent sensory signal or nerve potential) and causes a signal (efferent motor signal or nerve potential) to be sent back to the muscle causing it to contract (hence causing movement such as a leg jerking in response to tapping the knee tendon).