pedicle

noun

ped·​i·​cle ˈpe-di-kəl 

1

: pedicel sense b

2

: the part of a skin or tissue graft left attached to the original site during the preliminary stages of union

3

anatomy : either of two short cylindrical bony processes lying on either side of a vertebra that project posteriorly from the vertebral body and fuse with the laminae to form a neural arch

Note: Each pedicle has a superior and inferior notch that forms an intervertebral foramen with a pedicle on an adjacent vertebra allowing for the passage of spinal nerves and vessels

pedicled

ˈpe-di-kəld 

adjective

Examples of pedicle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Then in the spring, their antlers begin to grow back, starting with little nubs—called the pedicles—that are covered in fuzz, or velvet. —Scott Bestul, Field & Stream, 10 Jan. 2024

Since antlers form from the bases and grow up and out, the area around the pedicle and the main beam itself hardens first, followed by hardening of the tines, from the base to the tip. —Scott Bestul, Field & Stream, 10 Jan. 2024

Although the antlers fall off yearly, the pedicles remain — and continue to serve as the base for new antlers to grow. —Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 5 Dec. 2023

Antlers are bony structures that extend out of permanent growths on a Cervidae's head — usually only the male — called pedicles. —Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 5 Dec. 2023

Ovarian torsion can be diagnosed with an ultrasound, and it’s treated surgically with a minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure to untwist the pedicle of the ovary so blood can flow back into it. —Addison Aloian, Women's Health, 15 June 2023

Harold Gillies, an early British plastic surgeon, popularized the tubed pedicle, a general technique for moving tissue across the body by shaping a flap of skin into a tube and inching it toward the site of injury through periodic cutting and reattachment. —New York Times, 10 May 2022

Often the spine must be stabilized by putting screws in through the back of the vertebrae, into the main part of the bone, through a narrow section called the pedicle. —Ed Stannard, Hartford Courant, 13 Feb. 2023

Another widespread practice for more than 40 years is spinal fusion, a surgery for back pain that often involves implanting expensive devices known as pedicle screws. —Jeanne Lenzer, Discover Magazine, 11 Feb. 2011

Word History

Etymology

Latin pediculus, from diminutive of ped-, pes

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

pedicle

noun

ped·​i·​cle ˈped-i-kəl 

: a basal attachment: as

a

: either of two short cylindrical bony processes lying on either side of a vertebra that project posteriorly from the vertebral body and fuse with the laminae to form a neural arch

Note: Each pedicle has a superior and inferior notch that forms an intervertebral foramen with a pedicle on an adjacent vertebra allowing for the passage of spinal nerves and vessels.

b

: the narrow basal part by which various organs (as the kidney or spleen) are continuous with other body structures

c

: the narrow base of a tumor

d

: the part of a pedicle flap left attached to the original site