Spinnbarkeit

Spinnbarkeit is a property of viscoelastic fluids that describes their capacity to be drawn out into an unbroken strand ¹. Synonymous terms include spinnability and fibrosity. Human bodily fluids that can exhibit a degree of spinnbarkeit include mucus (especially cervical mucus), saliva and synovial fluid ^1-3.

Clinical importance

The degree of spinnbarkeit observed in cervical mucus correlates strongly with endogenous estrogen levels ³. Cervical mucus that is able to be drawn out to a maximum length usually precedes or coincides with ovulation ⁴. An unbroken, six centimeter strand of mucus is a common metric used in family planning to identify fertile days of the menstrual cycle ⁵. After ovulation, relative estrogen deficit and rising progesterone levels cause the cervical mucus to thicken and lose spinnbarkeit ³.

The spinnbarkeit of bronchial secretions is critical to the efficient functioning of the mucociliary escalator ⁶.

History and etymology

German chemist Hans Erbring (1903 - 1982) coined the term spinnbarkeit in his experiments with viscoelastic fluids. The term itself is German for spinnability ⁷.