1. The state or quality of having abnormally high muscle tone or tension; excessive firmness or rigidity of muscles.
Usage: Medical/clinical term; Often used in neurology and physical medicine
2. In physiology, the condition of a solution having a higher osmotic pressure than another solution, causing water to move out of cells.
Usage: Biology/physiology term

Examples

• The patient's hypertonicity in the legs made walking difficult and required physical therapy.
• Cerebral palsy can result in hypertonicity of the affected muscles.
• The hypertonicity of the saline solution caused the cells to shrivel as water left them.
• After the stroke, the neurologist noted increased hypertonicity on the patient's left side.
• A hypertonic solution exhibits hypertonicity relative to the cell's internal environment.
• Treatment for hypertonicity may include muscle relaxants or stretching exercises.