cervical effacement

(noun)

The thinning and stretching of the cervix.

Related Terms

Examples of cervical effacement in the following topics:

  • Onset of Labor

    • Cervical effacement (the thinning and stretching of the cervix and cervical dilation) occurs during the closing weeks of pregnancy and is usually complete, or near complete, by the end of the latent phase.
    • The degree of cervical effacement may be felt during a vaginal examination.
    • A long cervix implies that effacement has not yet occurred.
    • The latent phase ends with the onset of the active phase, which is marked by an accelerated cervical dilation.

  • Premature Infants

    • Many women experience false labor (not leading to cervical shortening and effacement) and are falsely labeled to be in preterm labor.
    • The presence of this glycoprotein in the cervical or vaginal secretions indicates that the border between the chorion and deciduas has been disrupted.

  • Stages of Labor

    • The first stage of labor classically starts when the effaced (thinned) cervix is 3 cm dilated, although there is variation as some women may or may not have active contractions prior to reaching this point.
    • During effacement, the cervix becomes incorporated into the lower segment of the uterus.
    • This definition is based on Friedman's Curve, which plots the typical rate of cervical dilation and fetal descent during active labor.

  • Cervical Plexus

    • The cervical plexus is the plexus of the ventral rami of the first four cervical spinal nerves.
    • The cervical plexus is a plexus of the ventral rami of the first four cervical spinal nerves located from the C1 to C4 cervical segment in the neck.
    • Nerves formed from the cervical plexus innervate the back of the head, as well as some neck muscles.
    • The cervical plexus has two types of branches: cutaneous and muscular.
    • The transverse cervical nerve (superficial cervical or cutaneous cervical) arises from the second and third cervical nerves, turns around the posterior border of the sternocleidomastoideus about its middle, then passes obliquely forward beneath the external jugular vein to the anterior border of the muscle, where it perforates the deep cervical fascia and divides beneath the platysma into ascending and descending branches that are distributed to the antero-lateral parts of the neck.

  • Cervical Cancer

    • Cervical cancer is a cancer that originates in the cervix of a female.
    • Cervical cancer is the term for a malignant neoplasm arising from cells originating in the cervix uteri.
    • The early stages of cervical cancer may be completely asymptomatic.
    • Also, moderate pain during sexual intercourse and vaginal discharge are symptoms of cervical cancer.
    • In developed countries, the widespread use of cervical screening programs has reduced the incidence of invasive cervical cancer by 50% or more.

  • Fractures of the Vertebral Column

    • They can affect the cervical vertebrae (a cervical fracture), the thoracic, or the lumbar regions.
    • A cervical fracture is commonly called a broken neck .
    • Considerable force is needed to cause a cervical fracture.
    • Sports involving violent physical contact carry a risk of cervical fracture.
    • In the presence of severe head trauma, cervical fracture must be presumed until ruled out.

  • Papanicolaou Test

    • The Pap smear is a test used to determine the health of the cervical canal and is an important test in cancer prevention.
    • Changes can be treated, thus preventing cervical cancer.
    • The test aims to detect potentially pre-cancerous changes (called cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) or cervical dysplasia), which are usually caused by sexually transmitted human papillomaviruses.
    • HPV (Human Papiloma Virus) causes cervical cancer.
    • The test remains an effective, widely used method for early detection of pre-cancer and cervical cancer.

  • Barrier Methods

    • The cervical cap is a form of female barrier contraception.
    • A cervical cap fits over the cervix and blocks sperm from entering the uterus .
    • After use, cervical caps are washed and stored for reuse.
    • The diaphragm is a cervical barrier type of birth control, similar to the cervical cap.
    • The diaphragm, like the cervical cap, is typically used with a spermicide.

  • Regional Vertebral Characteristics

    • The vertebrae of the spinal column are divided into five regions: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccyx.
    • The upper three regions of the spinal column are termed the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar; they contain individually jointed vertebrae.
    • The cervical region of the spine is the most superior and contains seven small vertebrae.
    • The twelve thoracic vertebrae are located inferiorly to the cervical region.
    • They are larger than the cervical vertebrae and increase in size moving inferiorly to the lumbar region.

  • General Characteristics of the Spine

    • There are 33 vertebrae in the human spine that are split into four regions that correspond to the curvature of the spine; the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum, and coccyx.
    • The vertebrae of the sacrum and coccyx are fused, but those of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions are separated by intervertebral discs.
    • For example, the most superior cervical vertebra is termed C1 and the most inferior C7, which is then followed by the T1 vertebrae of the thoracic region.
    • These are called the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and pelvic regions.
    • The cervical curve covers the region between vertebrae C1 and T2, it is the least marked of all the spinal curves.