Hoffmann's Sign: Difference between revisions
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<div class="editorbox"> '''Original Editor '''- [[User:Arnold Fredrick D'Souza|Arnold Fredrick D'Souza]] '''Top Contributors''' - {{Special:Contributors/{{FULLPAGENAME}}}}</div> | |||
== Introduction == | == Introduction == | ||
Dr. Johann Hoffmann, a German neurologist, is credited with the discovery of the eponymous Hoffmann's sign or reflex.<ref>P Hoffmann. Über eine Methode, den Erfolg einer Nervennaht zu beurteilen. Medizinische Klinik, March 28, 1915b, 11 (13): 359-360.</ref> Although his assistant, Dr. Hans Curschman is responsible for the dissemination of this finding, leading to its universal use in neurological screening today.<ref>Bendheim, OL. "ON THE HISTORY OF HOFFMANN'S SIGN." ''Bulletin of the Institute of the History of Medicine 1937;'' 5(7): 684-86.</ref> | Dr. Johann Hoffmann, a German neurologist, is credited with the discovery of the eponymous Hoffmann's sign or reflex.<ref>P Hoffmann. Über eine Methode, den Erfolg einer Nervennaht zu beurteilen. Medizinische Klinik, March 28, 1915b, 11 (13): 359-360.</ref> Although his assistant, Dr. Hans Curschman is responsible for the dissemination of this finding, leading to its universal use in neurological screening today.<ref>Bendheim, OL. "ON THE HISTORY OF HOFFMANN'S SIGN." ''Bulletin of the Institute of the History of Medicine 1937;'' 5(7): 684-86.</ref> | ||
Revision as of 09:00, 19 August 2020
Original Editor - Arnold Fredrick D'Souza Top Contributors - Arnold Fredrick D'Souza, Kim Jackson, Manisha Shrestha, Lucinda hampton and Alan Jit Ho Mak
Introduction[edit | edit source]
Dr. Johann Hoffmann, a German neurologist, is credited with the discovery of the eponymous Hoffmann's sign or reflex.[1] Although his assistant, Dr. Hans Curschman is responsible for the dissemination of this finding, leading to its universal use in neurological screening today.[2]
Technique[edit | edit source]
The following steps[3] should be followed while performing this test:
- Place the subject’s relaxed hand ensuring dorsiflexion at the wrist and partial flexion of the fingers.
- Hold the subject's partially extended middle finger between your index and middle finger, ensuring you stabilize the proximal IP joint.
- Perform a sharp and forceful flick of your thumb, making contact with the nail of the subject’s middle finger.
- The subject's finger will flex immediately followed by relaxation.
- The presence of Hoffmann's sign is characterized by flexion and adduction of the thumb and flexion of the index finger.
Interpretation[edit | edit source]
A positive Hoffmann's sign is suggestive of corticospinal tract dysfunction localized to the cervical segments of the spinal cord.[3] In this regard, it is analogous to the Babinski sign.
Psychometric properties[edit | edit source]
The presence of Hoffmann's sign alone is inconclusive in the diagnosis of cervical myelopathy.[5]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ P Hoffmann. Über eine Methode, den Erfolg einer Nervennaht zu beurteilen. Medizinische Klinik, March 28, 1915b, 11 (13): 359-360.
- ↑ Bendheim, OL. "ON THE HISTORY OF HOFFMANN'S SIGN." Bulletin of the Institute of the History of Medicine 1937; 5(7): 684-86.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 DeJong’s The Neurologic Examination: Sixth edition; Lippincott Williams and Wilkins 2005, pp 495-496.
- ↑ CRTechnologies. Hoffmann's Sign Test (CR). Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_4gpNizwPg (accessed 19 August 2020)
- ↑ Fogarty A, Lenza E, Gupta G, Jarzem P, Dasgupta K, Radhakrishna M. A Systematic Review of the Utility of the Hoffmann Sign for the Diagnosis of Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2018 Dec 1;43(23):1664-1669. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000002697. PMID: 29668564.
