torticol'lis

[L. tort us, twisted, collum, neck.] Wry-neck, stiff-neck, caput obstipum, a spasmodic contraction of the muscles of the neck, chiefly those supplied by the spinal acce ory nerve the head is drawn to one side and usually rotated; so that the chin points to the other side, inter mitt'- ent t., t. spastic a, rheum at'ic t., symptomatic t. spu'iious t., stiffne of the neck due to caries of the cervical vertebrae, symptom at'ic t., rheumatic t., stiff-neck due to rheumatism of the muscles of the neck, chiefly of the sternocleidomastoid, occurring especially in children, t. spas'tic a, intermittent stiff-neck due to clonicotonic spasm of the neck muscles.