n. 1. The placement of a nonabsorbable suture around the uterine cervix to treat premature dilation of the cervix during pregnancy. 2. The use of an encircling wire loop or ring to bring together the ends of an obliquely fractured bone or the fragments of a broken patella. 3. The use of an encircling silicone band around the sclera of the eye to correct detachment of the retina. [French, encirclement, from cercler, to encircle, from Old French, from cercle, circle; see CIRCLE.] |
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