Suprasternal notch
| Suprasternal notch | |
|---|---|
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| Suprasternal notch | |
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| Anterolateral view of head and neck. (Jugular notch labeled at bottom center.) | |
| Latin | Incisura jugularis sternalis, fossa jugularis sterni |
| Gray's | p.120 |
The suprasternal notch (fossa jugularis sternalis), also known as the jugular notch, is part of human anatomy. It is a large, visible dip.
Anatomical location
The jugular notch is found at the superior border of the manubrium of the sternum, between the clavicular notches.
Evaluative tests using the suprasternal notch
Intrathoracic pressure is measured by using a transducer held in such a way over the body that an actuator engages the soft tissue that is located above the suprasternal notch.
Arcot J. Chandrasekhar, MD of Loyola University, Chicago, is the author of an evaluative test for the aorta using the suprasternal notch.[1] The test can help to recognise the following conditions:
- Aneurysm
- Dissecting aneurysm
- Atherosclerosis
- Hypertension
To carry out this test it is necessary to place an index finger or middle finger on the notch and palpate it. In a young normal person there should be no palpable pulse. A prominent pulse may be indicative of an uncoiled aorta, arch aneurysm, or a tortuous blood vessel. The most likely cause of a suprasternal pulse in an adult is an aortic arch aneurysm, while the most likely cause in a child is coarctation of the aorta.
As a zone of eroticism
The suprasternal notch or well is seen as a point of attraction by many men and women.
The suprasternal notch can be highlighted subtly by wearing pendants or necklaces which rest in that area, to draw focus to a part of the body that can be considered an erotic or sensual zone. In this way, exhibiting the notch is more understated in exhibiting sensuality than the usual areas (legs, chest, hips etc.) and is considered an erogenous zone.
Romantic cultural references
The suprasternal notch appears in the novel and film The English Patient as an erogenous zone and focal point of amorousness. In the novel it is given the whimsical name "vascular sizood", but is correctly named in the film.
Screenwriter Samson Raphaelson invented the term ucipital mapilary to refer to the suprasternal notch for the 1941 Alfred Hitchcock thriller Suspicion.
This neologism was repeated by Count Dracula in Mel Brooks' 1995 satire Dracula: Dead and Loving It, played by Leslie Nielson.
American humorist Joshua Allen used it in his Fireland persona on Twitter: "Doing listerine body shots off the suprasternal notch of a sad lady I met at the farmer's market don't judge only god can judge me"
It is known in the south of the Netherlands as the "derelegate zone" which has erotic connection to local folk stories.
As a vulnerable target in martial arts
The suprasternal notch is a target for finger strikes in such martial arts as Jiu-Jitsu. In self-defense, a person may thrust their fingers into the suprasternal notch, (applied straight and downward pressure, two-finger strike). This maneuver induces choking and/or unconsciousness through blockage/crushing of the windpipe. This maneuver was choreographed into the subway station fight scene in the movie The Matrix.
References
- ↑ MedEd at Loyola MEDICINE/PULMONAR/PD/pstep37a.htm - Evaluative tests using the suprasternal notch
External links
- The Suprasternal Notch site with (humorous) suggestions on suppressing suprasternal notch fetishism.
- IMDB ucipital mapilary movie connection.
- blog entry on Ucipital Mapilary citing film dialogue.
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Suspicion_(film) |
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: The_English_Patient |
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