Cervical dystocia


Cervical dystocia: Difficult labor and delivery caused by mechanical obstruction at the cervix. Dystocia comes from the Greek “dys” meaning “difficult, painful, disordered, abnormal” + “tokos” meaning “birth.”

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  • Cervical vertebra, first

    Cervical vertebra, first: The first cervical (neck) vertebra is called the atlas. It supports the head. The atlas bone is named for the Greek god Atlas who was condemned to support the earth and its heavens on his shoulders. (Because the god Atlas often adorned maps, a compilation of maps came to be known as […]

  • Cervical vertebra, second

    Cervical vertebra, second: The second cervical vertebra is called the axis. It is so-named because the uppermost cervical vertebra (called the atlas) rotates about the odontoid process of the second cervical vertebra. The joint between the axis and atlas is a pivot type of joint. It allows the head turn. The Latin word “axis” means […]

  • Cervicectomy

    Cervicectomy: Surgical removal of the cervix, the lower portion of the uterus that protrudes into the vagina. Cervicectomy is also called trachelectomy. Cervicectomy is done in younger women with early cancer of the cervix (with a tumor no larger than 2-3 centimeters). In this surgery, the cervix and the upper part of the vagina are […]

  • Cervical vertebrae

    Cervical vertebrae: The cervical (neck) vertebrae are the upper 7 vertebrae in the spinal column (the vertebral column). They are designated C1 through C7 from the top down. C1 is called the atlas. It supports the head and is named for the Greek god Atlas who was condemned to support the earth and its heavens […]

  • Cervix

    Cervix: The cervix is the lower, narrow part of the uterus (womb). The uterus, a hollow, pear-shaped organ, is located in a woman’s lower abdomen, between the bladder and the rectum. The cervix forms a canal that opens into the vagina, which leads to the outside of the body. The word “cervix” comes straight from […]


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