Wartenberg Reflex
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
The Wartenberg reflex of the thumb indicates disease of the pyramidal tracts and is elicited by having the patient forcefully flex their fingers against resistance, causing involuntary flexion of the thumb at the nail joint.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
WARTENBERG REFLEX (Wartenberg) of the thumb indicates disease of the pyramidal tracts and is elicited as follows: with the left hand, grasp the patient's supinated forearm and have them bend the last four fingers at the middle and nail phalanges; the examiner inserts their own similarly bent fingers 2-5 into the patient's bent fingers and asks the patient to bend their fingers with all their strength, resisting them. With lesions of the pyramidal system, with strong tension, an involuntary movement of the thumb occurs in the form of strong flexion at the nail joint and to a lesser degree at the main and opposition joints.
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Cite this page
“Wartenberg Reflex.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/wartenberg-reflex/