Frenulum
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A frenulum organ in the body.
In human anatomy
Frenula on the human body include several in the
digestive tract, and some connected to the external genitalia
.
- Brain: Frenulum of superior medullary velumor frenulum veli
- Digestive tract: frenulum valvae ileocaecalis
- Oral tissue: Frenula of the frenulum labii inferioris inside the lower lip, and the buccal frena which connect the cheeks to the gum. These can easily be torn by violent blows to the face or mouth, thus a torn frenulum is sometimes a warning sign of physical abuse.
- Penile tissue: The word frenulum on its own is often used for the penile frenulum or frenulum preputii penis, which is an elastic band of tissue under the glans penis that connects to the foreskin to the ventral mucosa, and helps contract the prepuce over the glans.
- Vulvar tissue: In females, genital frenula include the frenulum labiorum pudendi (fourchette) where the labia minorameet at the back.
An overly short oral or genital frenulum may require a
frenulectomy or frenuloplasty
to achieve normal mobility.
In insects
The word frenulum also refers to a
retinaculum
) to join the wings together.
See also
- Frenectomy – surgical removal of frenula
- Frenuloplasty – surgical alterations of frenula
- Frenulum breve
- Frenulum veli
Piercings
References
External links
The dictionary definition of frenulum at Wiktionary
