What is the clinical importance of cremestric muscle reflex?

The cremasteric reflex is a spinal reflex that is elicited by stroking the medial aspect of the thigh. The response is a contraction of the cremaster muscle, which results in elevation of the ipsilateral testicle.

The cremasteric reflex is clinically important for two reasons.

* It can be used to assess the integrity of the L1-L2 spinal cord segments. Interruption of these segments, such as by a herniated disc, can result in loss of the cremasteric reflex.

* It can be used to distinguish between suprasacral and infrasacral lesions. A suprasacral lesion, such as a spinal cord injury at T12, will interrupt the descending pathway for the cremasteric reflex and result in loss of the reflex. An infrasacral lesion, such as a pudendal nerve injury, will not interrupt the descending pathway and the reflex will be preserved.

The cremasteric reflex is a simple and easy-to-perform test that can provide valuable clinical information.