Incurvation

Incurvation is the act or result of bending or turning inward, producing an inward curvature. The word derives from Latin roots meaning inward (in-) and to bend (curvare). It appears most often in older or more technical writing, including medical and natural history texts.

In anatomical and medical contexts, incurvation describes an inward bending of a body part or structure. This can refer to fingers or limbs that are flexed toward the palm or toward the midline, or to parts such as a spine or organ that exhibit inward curvature. In botanical and zoological descriptions, incurvation can describe leaves, petals, or other structures whose margins or blades curve toward the center of the organ, creating an inward contour.

The term is relatively uncommon in contemporary clinical practice, where more precise language is typically used. When incurvation is employed, it generally serves as a descriptive aid rather than a diagnosis, and clinicians will often replace it with specific measurements or terms such as inward curvature or the name of the condition involved (for example, a particular spinal deformity).

See also: curvature; inward bending; incurved. Noting that incurvation is a descriptive, rather than an etiological, term can help readers distinguish it from related concepts such as eversion (outward turning) or invagination (folding inward into a cavity).