Definition

Noun: A severe and sustained spasm of the muscles causing the body to arch backwards, with the head bent back and the heels flexed toward the back. It is a symptom of certain neurological conditions, such as tetanus or meningitis.

Usage

This is a highly specific medical term used to describe a clinical sign of severe muscle spasm. * The patient presented with opisthotonos, a classic sign of strychnine poisoning. * In advanced tetanus, opisthotonos can be so severe that only the back of the head and the heels touch the bed.

Advanced Usage

The term is almost exclusively used in medical and clinical contexts to describe a diagnostic observation. * The presence of opisthotonos helped differentiate the diagnosis from other types of seizure disorders.

Variants and Related Words

• Opisthotonic (adjective): Relating to or characterized by opisthotonos.
  • The patient exhibited an opisthotonic posture.

Synonyms

• Arched spasm
• Retrocollic spasm (a more specific term referring to the neck involvement)

Related Medical Signs

• Emprosthotonos: A spasm causing the body to arch forward, the opposite of opisthotonos.
• Pleurothotonos: A spasm causing the body to bend laterally to one side.

Noun

1. severe spasm in which the back arches and the head bends back and heels flex toward the back