June 2021 CME Activity: The Flexor Pollicis Longus Reflex-The Flexor Pollicis Longus Reflex

Pdf Summary

The Flexor Pollicis Longus Reflex (FPLR), a diagnostic neuromuscular test used to assess nerve root lesions or pathologies of the interosseous anterior nerve, has been found to be reliable according to a study published in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. The study aimed to investigate the interrater and intrarater reliability of the FPLR and compare it with established muscle stretch reflexes. The study involved 71 healthy volunteers who had their FPLR, biceps reflex, brachioradialis reflex, and patellar tendon reflex tested bilaterally by eight examiners. For intrarater reliability evaluation, five examiners rated the reflexes of four volunteers at four different points in time. The study found almost perfect agreement for the FPLR, biceps reflex, and patellar tendon reflex, and fair agreement for the brachioradialis reflex. Experienced raters had higher agreement than inexperienced raters for the biceps reflex and patellar tendon reflex. The intrarater reliability was almost perfect for the patellar tendon reflex, substantial for the FPLR, and moderate for the biceps reflex. The study concluded that the FPLR is a reliable diagnostic test that can be useful in the clinical examination for nerve root lesions or interosseous anterior nerve pathologies. Further studies are needed to assess its validity in detecting specific nerve root lesions.

Asset Subtitle

Interrater and Intrarater Reliability in Comparison with Established Muscle Stretch Reflexes

Keywords

Flexor Pollicis Longus Reflex

diagnostic test

nerve root lesions

interosseous anterior nerve

neuromuscular

interrater reliability

intrarater reliability

muscle stretch reflexes

healthy volunteers

examiners