The properties of the patellar tendon reflex in normal hypertensive and ‘imminently eclamptic' patients

SummaryThe properties of the patellar tendon reflex were investigated in pregnant patients in the last trimester of pregnancy using a computer assisted timing device. Three groups of patients were studied; normal, hypertensive and ‘imminent eclamptic' patients. Delay, degree of extension, time and angular velocity of the reflex were measured in each patient and the three groups compared. No differences were found between the means of the three groups, but some individual ‘imminent eclamptic' patients had faster and more exaggerated patellar reflexes which were outside the normal range.