Muscle Spasticity (also known as Spasticity, Muscle, Clasp-Knife Spasticity): A form of muscle hypertonia associated with upper MOTOR NEURON DISEASE. Resistance to passive stretch of a spastic muscle results in minimal initial resistance (a free interval) followed by an incremental increase in muscle tone. Tone increas

NIH MeSH · D009128Diseases

Muscle Spasticity

Also known asSpasticity, Muscle · Clasp-Knife Spasticity · Clasp Knife Spasticity · Spasticity, Clasp-Knife · Spastic

Definition

A form of muscle hypertonia associated with upper MOTOR NEURON DISEASE. Resistance to passive stretch of a spastic muscle results in minimal initial resistance (a free interval) followed by an incremental increase in muscle tone. Tone increases in proportion to the velocity of stretch. Spasticity is usually accompanied by HYPERREFLEXIA and variable degrees of MUSCLE WEAKNESS. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p54)

MeSH classification

  • C05.651.512
  • C10.597.613.550.550
  • C23.888.592.608.550.550

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Common questions about Muscle Spasticity

What does Muscle Spasticity mean in medicine?
A form of muscle hypertonia associated with upper MOTOR NEURON DISEASE. Resistance to passive stretch of a spastic muscle results in minimal initial resistance (a free interval) followed by an incremental increase in muscle tone. Tone increases in proportion to the velocity of stretch. Spasticity is usually accompanied by HYPERREFLEXIA and variable degrees of MUSCLE WEAKNESS. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p54) This definition is taken from the National Library of Medicine's MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) 2026 release, which is the standard vocabulary used to index PubMed and most medical literature.
Is Muscle Spasticity known by any other names?
Yes. Muscle Spasticity is also referred to as Spasticity, Muscle, Clasp-Knife Spasticity, Clasp Knife Spasticity, Spasticity, Clasp-Knife in different clinical, research and patient-facing contexts. The MeSH descriptor groups all of these synonyms under a single canonical concept so research and records stay consistent.
Where does Muscle Spasticity sit in the medical classification?
Muscle Spasticity falls under the broader medical category "Diseases" in the MeSH hierarchy (tree numbers: C05.651.512, C10.597.613.550.550, C23.888.592.608.550.550). Browsing the related concepts on this page takes you to neighbouring topics in the same branch of medicine.
Where can I get a plain-language explanation of Muscle Spasticity?
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Source: NIH MeSH 2026 (D009128) — National Library of Medicine, public domain. View official MeSH record ↗