nounvincula

• 1Anatomy
  A connecting band of tissue, such as that attaching a flexor tendon to the bone of a finger or toe.

  ‘It flexes the other three digits because it is attached to the flexor digitorum longus tendon by a vinculum along the distal portion of the tarsometatarsus.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘The most distinctive traits of broadbills are their foot tendons (the flexor hallueis and the flexor profundus tendons are joined by a vinculum band).’
  • ‘The vinculum tendon emerges from the distal end of the humerus and follows the posterior margin of the wing, attaching at the distal end of digit 2.’
  • ‘In type 2 injuries, the tendon retracts to the PIP level leaving the long vincula intact and preserving a portion of the nutritional blood supply from the sheath.’
  • ‘This supply comes through a series of transverse vincula, which function as passageways for blood vessels to reach the tendon.’

• 2Mathematics
  A horizontal line drawn over a group of terms in a mathematical expression to indicate that they are to be operated on as a single entity by the preceding or following operator.

  More example sentences

  • ‘For notational convenience the negative digits are usually written with a vinculum, or overbar, instead of a prefixed minus sign.’