Hoffman Sign

Aka: Hoffman Sign, Hoffman Reflex, Hoffman's Reflex

II. Technique

  1. Patient pronates hand with fingers extended and relaxed
  2. Examiner holds the patient's pronated hand, and supports the middle finger below the DIP joint
  3. Examiner quickly presses or flicks down on the Fingernail region of the middle finger

III. Findings: Abnormal (Positive Hoffman Sign)

  1. Involuntary flexion and adduction (opposition) of the thumb
  2. Other fingers may also flex (e.g. index finger)

IV. Causes: Abnormal Reflex

  1. Normal finding in 3% of U.S. population (typically present bilaterally in these patients)
  2. Upper Motor Neuron Lesion (Corticospinal tract)

V. References

  1. Degowin and Degowin (1987) Bedside Diagnostic Exam, Macmillan Publishing, New York, p. 820

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Related Studies

Ontology: Hoffman's Reflex (C0277839)

Concepts Finding (T033)
MSH D012021
SnomedCT 74229007
English Hoffmann's sign, Digital reflex, Reflex, Hoffman's, Hoffman reflex, hoffman's reflex, hoffmann's sign, hoffmann's signs, Hoffman's reflex, Hoffman's reflex (observable entity), Hoffman's Reflex
Italian Segno di Hoffmann, Riflesso di Hoffmann
Japanese ホフマン徴候, ﾎﾌﾏﾝﾁｮｳｺｳ
French Réflexe digital, Réflexe de Hoffmann, Signe de Hoffmann
Czech Hoffmanovo znamení, Hoffmanův reflex
Spanish reflejo de Hoffman (entidad observable), signo de Hoffmann, reflejo digital, reflejo de Hoffman, signo de Hoffmann (entidad observable), Signo de Hoffmann
Hungarian Hoffmann-tünet
Norwegian Hoffmanns refleks
Portuguese Sinal de Hoffmann
Dutch symptoom van Hoffmann
German Hoffmann's Zeichen
Derived from the NIH UMLS (Unified Medical Language System)

Related Topics in Examination

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