| muscle spasm | <physiology> Painful involuntary muscle contractions. Often seen in skeletal muscle after acute injury (muscle strain). (07 Apr 1998) |
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| muscle spasticity | A combination of the symptoms of increased resistance to lengthening, hyperactive tendon reflexes, and clonus. Muscle spasticity occurs in hemiplegia. (12 Dec 1998) |
| muscle spindle | A specialised muscle fibre found in tetrapod vertebrates. A bundle of muscle fibres is innervated by sensory neurons. Stretching the muscle causes the neurons to fire, the muscle spindle thus functions as a stretch receptor. (18 Nov 1997) |
| muscle spindles | Mechanoreceptors found between skeletal muscle fibres. Muscle spindles are arranged in parallel with muscle fibres and respond to the passive stretch of the muscle, but cease to discharge if the muscle contracts isotonically, thus signaling muscle length. The muscle spindles are the receptors responsible for the stretch or myotactic reflex (reflex, stretch). (12 Dec 1998) |
| muscle strain | An acute tearing injury to muscle. Usually associated with a small amount of bleeding (haematoma) into the injured muscle tissue. (27 Sep 1997) |
| muscle-tendon attachment | The union of a muscle and tendon fibre in which sarcolemma intervenes between the two; the end of the muscle fibre may be rounded, conical, or tapered. Synonym: muscle-tendon junction. (05 Mar 2000) |
| muscle-tendon junction | The union of a muscle and tendon fibre in which sarcolemma intervenes between the two; the end of the muscle fibre may be rounded, conical, or tapered. Synonym: muscle-tendon junction. (05 Mar 2000) |
| muscle tension headache | A benign form of headache that results from the painful spasm (muscle tightness) and inflammation of muscles of the head and neck. Tension headache is one of the most common forms of headache. Spasm and contraction of the head and neck muscles may occur in response to fatigue, overuse, eye strain, excessive smoking, stress, anxiety or depression. Sleeping in an abnormal position or prolonged work involving immobilisation of the neck in one position (typing, computers, etc.) are considered common triggers. Exercising and stretching the muscles of the head and neck can reduce the occurrence of muscle tension headaches. (27 Sep 1997) |
| muscle tonus | The state of activity or tension of a muscle beyond that related to its physical properties, that is, its active resistance to stretch. In skeletal muscle, tonus is dependent upon efferent innervation. (12 Dec 1998) |
| muscle-trimming | The shaping of an impression material by the manipulation or action of the tissues adjacent to the borders of an impression. Synonym: muscle-trimming, tissue molding, tissue-trimming. (05 Mar 2000) |
| muscle weakness | A vague complaint of debility, fatigue, or exhaustion attributable to weakness of various muscles. The weakness can be characterised as subacute or chronic, often progressive, and is a manifestation of many muscle and neuromuscular diseases. (12 Dec 1998) |
| muscular fascia of extraocular muscle | Muscular fascia; the part of the orbital fascia that envelops the extraocular muscles; it is thin posteriorly but becomes thicker where it is continuous with the bulbar sheath; the fascial sheaths of the four rectus muscles are connected by an intermuscular membrane. Synonym: fascia muscularis musculorum bulbi, fascia of extraocular muscles, muscular fascia of extraocular muscle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| coracobrachial muscle | <anatomy> Relating to the coracoid process of the scapula and the arm. <muscle> Origin, coracoid process of scapula; insertion, middle of medial border of humerus; action, adducts and flexes the arm; resists downward dislocation of shoulder joint; nerve supply, musculocutaneous. See: coracobrachial bursa. Synonym: musculus coracobrachialis, Casser's perforated muscle, coracobrachial muscle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| corrugator cutis muscle of anus | Smooth muscle fibres radiating from the anal opening superficial to the external sphincter. Synonym: musculus corrugator cutis ani. (05 Mar 2000) |
| corrugator muscle | <anatomy, muscle> Origin, from orbital portion of musculus orbicularis oculi and nasal prominence; insertion, skin of eyebrow; action, draws medial end of eyebrow downward and wrinkles forehead vertically; nerve supply, facial. Synonym: musculus corrugator supercilii, Coiter's muscle, corrugator muscle, wrinkler muscle of eyebrow. (05 Mar 2000) |