Glossary

Category: S

  • Spinnbarkeit

    A thread of mucus formed in the cervix which is used in determining the time of ovulation. At this time it can be drawn out on a glass slide to its maximum length. Evaluation of the elasticity of cervical mucus used to determine time of ovulation. The cervical secretion is aspirated and placed on a…

  • Spinhaler

    A trade name for a device from which a person with breathing problems can inhale a preset dose of a drug.  

  • Spinal shock

    A loss of feeling in the lower part of the body below a point at which the spine has been injured. Type of shock caused by a failure of the vascular system to respond to stimuli as a result of neurological damage to the spinal cord. Spinal shock occurs in response to neurological trauma. Symptoms…

  • Spinal meningitis

    Inflammation of the membranes around the spinal cord, which particularly affects young children.  

  • Spinal ganglion

    A cone-shaped mass of cells on the posterior root, the main axons of which form the posterior root of the spinal nerve.  

  • Spinal fusion

    A surgical operation to join two vertebrae together to make the spine more rigid. Fixation of an unstable part of the spinal column, usually done surgically by a bone graft, sometimes through traction or immobilization. A major surgical procedure sometimes considered to treat severe, persistent back pain, such as that caused by a slipped disk.…

  • Spinal curvature

    Unusual bending of the spinal column. Abnormal curvature of the spine, frequently constitutional in children. It may be angular, lateral (scoliosis), or anteroposterior (kyphosis, lordosis).  

  • Spinal anaesthetic

    An anaesthetic given by injection into the spine, which results in large parts of the body losing the sense of feeling.  

  • Spinal anaesthesia

    Local anaesthesia in which an anaesthetic is injected into the cerebrospinal fluid. Administering an anesthetic into the cerebrospinal fluid within the spinal canal to obstruct the transmission of pain signals before they reach the central nervous system. Spinal anesthesia is primarily employed during surgical interventions involving the lower abdomen and legs, as well as in…

  • Spinal accessory nerve

    The eleventh cranial nerve which supplies the muscles in the neck and shoulders.