postural contraction

contraction /con·trac·tion/ (kon-trak´shun) a drawing together; a shortening or shrinkage.

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Braxton Hicks contractions  light, usually painless, irregular uterine contractions during pregnancy, gradually increasing in intensity and frequency and becoming more rhythmic during the third trimester.

carpopedal contraction  the condition due to chronic shortening of the muscles of the fingers, toes, arms, and legs in tetany.

cicatricial contraction  the shrinkage and spontaneous closing of open skin wounds.

clonic contraction  clonus.

hourglass contraction  contraction of an organ, as the stomach or uterus, at or near the middle.

isometric contraction  muscle contraction without appreciable shortening or change in distance between its origin and insertion.

Isotonic (A) and isometric (B) contraction.

isotonic contraction  muscle contraction without appreciable change in the force of contraction; the distance between the muscle's origin and insertion becomes lessened.

lengthening contraction  a muscle contraction in which the ends of the muscle move farther apart, as when the muscle is forcibly flexed.

paradoxical contraction  contraction of a muscle caused by the passive approximation of its extremities.

postural contraction  the state of muscular tension and contraction which just suffices to maintain the posture of the body.

shortening contraction  a muscle contraction in which the ends of the muscle move closer together, as when a flexed limb is extended.

tetanic contraction  sustained muscular contraction without intervals of relaxation.

tonic contraction  tetanic c.

twitch contraction  twitch.

uterine contraction  contraction of the uterus during labor.

wound contraction  the shrinkage and spontaneous closure of open skin wounds.

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postural contraction

n.

The maintenance of muscular tension sufficient to maintain posture.

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contraction

a drawing together; a shortening or shrinkage.

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isovolumetric contraction

ventricular muscle contraction during early systole after closure of the atrioventricular valves and before the semilunar valves open; the muscle continues to contract, forcing up the ventricular pressure without any change in the ventricular volume.

muscle contraction

see muscle.

myocardial contraction

individual myocardial cells transmit motor impulses across cell boundaries and act as a syncytium.

contraction phase

the stage in wound healing when there is centripetal movement of surrounding tissues and the area of the wound decreases. This is believed to be a cell-mediated phenomenon, involving myofibroblasts.

postural contraction

the state of muscular tension and contraction that just suffices to maintain the posture of the body.

striated muscle contraction

see muscle.

tetanic contraction, tonic contraction

sustained muscular contraction with alternating relaxation.