The
suprasternal notch (fossa jugularis sternalis), also known as the jugular notch, is part of
human anatomyHuman anatomy, which, with physiology and biochemistry, is a complementary basic medical science is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the adult human body. Anatomy is subdivided into gross anatomy and microscopic anatomy...
. It is a large, visible dip.
Anatomical location
The suprasternal 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
transducerA transducer is a device, electrical, electronic, electro-mechanical, electromagnetic, photonic, or photovoltaic, that converts one type of energy or physical attribute to another for various purposes including measurement or information transfer .There are two kinds of transducers...
held in such a way over the body that an
actuatorAn actuator is a mechanical device for moving or controlling a mechanism or system. An actuator typically is a mechanical device that takes energy, usually created by air, electricity, or liquid, and converts that into some kind of motion....
engages the soft tissue that is located above the suprasternal notch.
Arcot J. Chandrasekhar, MD of
Loyola UniversityLoyola University Chicago is a Jesuit private university located in Chicago, Illinois. The university was founded in 1870 as St. Ignatius College, and is the largest Jesuit, Catholic University in the United States....
,
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
, is the author of an evaluative test for the
aortaThe aorta is the largest artery in the body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and bringing oxygenated blood to all parts of the body in the systemic circulation....
using the suprasternal notch. The test can help to recognise the following conditions:
- Aneurysm
An aneurysm or aneurism , is a localized, blood-filled dilation of a blood vessel caused by disease or weakening of the vessel wall....
- Dissecting aneurysm
- Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is the condition in which an artery wall thickens as the result of a build-up of fatty materials such as cholesterol...
- Hypertension
Hypertension is a chronic medical condition in which the blood pressure is elevated. It is also referred to as high blood pressure or shortened to HT, HTN or HPN. The word "hypertension", by itself, normally refers to systemic, arterial hypertension.Hypertension can be classified as either...
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 zoneAn erogenous zone is an area of the human body that has heightened sensitivity, the stimulation of which may result in the production of erotic sensations or sexual excitement. There are individual variations as to which areas of the body are erogenously sensitive...
.
The suprasternal notch features in
The English PatientThe English Patient is a 1992 novel by Sri Lankan-Canadian novelist Michael Ondaatje. The story deals with the gradually revealed histories of a critically burned English man, his Canadian nurse, an Italian thief, and an Indian sapper in the British Army as they live out the end of World War II in...
as an erogenous zone.
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-defence, 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 "Railway Station" fight scene in the movie "The Matrix."
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