ANATOMICAL POSITION AND DIRECTIONAL TERMS Exploring Terms of Anatomy

Anatomical Position

Planes of Motion

Skull Sutures

Planes of Motion Your body doesn’t move in one dimension. If it did, you wouldn’t be able to move your leg away from you, toward you, in front and behind you. Your body moves in three dimensions, and training programs should reflect that.

Planes of Motion Exercise programs should be designed to utilize all planes of motion. This will help train the body in the same manner that it moves in real life. There are three different planes of motion…

SAGITTAL Divides the body into right/left. Movements in this plane move forward and backward. For example, bicep curl, dead lift, push ups, chest press, or lunges.

FRONTAL or CORONAL Divides the body into front/back. Movements in this plane go side to side. For example, side raises, side lunges, or jumping jacks.

TRANSVERSE Divides the body in top/bottom. Movements in this plane are rotational. For example, standing med ball twist, torso twist with bands, or wipers.

OF LOCATION Anatomical Terms

Anatomical Terms of Location Superior/Inferior Anterior/Posterior Medial/Lateral Distal/Proximal

Superior & Inferior Superior ‘higher’ ‘above’ Inferior ‘lower’ ‘below’ The head is superior to the neck. The elbow joint is inferior to the shoulder joint. The lungs are superior to the liver.

Anterior & Posterior Anterior (ventral) refers to the ‘front’ Posterior (dorsal) refers to the ‘back’ The heart is posterior to the sternum because it lies behind it. Pectoralis major lies anterior to pectoralis minor.

Medial & Lateral Medial means towards the midline. Lateral means away from the midline. The eye is lateral to the nose. The nose is medial to the ears.

Distal & Proximal These terms are used in structures that are considered to have a beginning and an end (such as the upper limb, lower limb and blood vessels). Proximal means closer to its origin. Distal means further away. The wrist is distal to the elbow. The knee is proximal to the ankle.

OF MOVEMENT Anatomical Terms

Flexion and Extension Movements that occur in the sagittal plane. They refer to increasing and decreasing the angle between two body parts.

Flexion A movement that decreases the angle between two body parts. Flexion at the elbow is decreasing the angle between the ulna and the humerus. When the knee flexes, the ankle moves closer to the buttock, and the angle between the femur and tibia gets smaller.

Extension A movement that increases the angle between two body parts. Extension at the elbow is increasing the angle between the ulna and the humerus. Extension of the knee straightens the lower limb.

Increasing and Decreasing the angle

Abduction and Adduction Abduction and Adduction are two terms that are used to describe movements towards or away from the midline of the body.

Abduction A B - away A movement away from the midline just as “abducting” someone is - to take them away For example, abduction of the shoulder raises the arms out to the sides of the body.

Adduction A D D - toward A movement towards the midline Adduction of the hip squeezes the legs together.

Abduction and Adduction In fingers and toes… the midline used is not the midline of the body, but of the hand and foot respectively. Therefore, abducting the fingers spreads them out.

Abduction and Adduction

Medial and Lateral Rotation A movement of the limbs around their long axis. Medial Rotation is a rotational movement towards the midline. It is sometimes referred to as internal rotation. Lateral rotation is a rotating movement away from the midline. It is sometimes referred to as external rotation.

Medial and Lateral Rotation To understand this, we must imagine two scenarios... Firstly, with a straight leg, rotate it to point the toes inward. This is medial rotation of the hip. Secondly, imagine you are carrying a tea tray in front of you, with elbow at 90 degrees. Now rotate the arm, bringing your hand towards your opposite hip (elbow still at 90 degrees). This is internal rotation of the shoulder. Lateral rotation is movement in the opposite direction of the movements described above.

Medial and Lateral Rotation

Elevation and Depression Elevation refers to movement in a superior direction Depression refers to movement in an inferior direction.

Pronation and Supination This is easily confused with medial and lateral rotation, but the difference is subtle. Supination: With your hand resting on a table in front of you, and keeping your shoulder and elbow still, turn your hand into its back, palm up. This is the supine position. When lying flat on the back, the body is supine Holding “Soup”

Pronation and Supination Pronation Again, keeping the elbow and shoulder still, flip your hand into its front, palm down. This is the prone position, and so this movement is named pronation. When lying flat on the front, the body is prone. Throwing a football like a “Pro”

Pronation and Supination

Dorsiflexion and Plantarflexion Dorsiflexion and plantarflexion are terms used to describe movements at the ankle. They refer to the two surfaces of the foot; the dorsum (superior surface) plantar surface (the sole).

Dorsiflexion and Plantarflexion Dorsiflexion refers to flexion at the ankles, so that the foot points more superiorly. Plantarflexion refers extension at the ankle, so that the foot points inferiorly.

Inversion and Eversion Inversion and eversion refer to movements that tilt the sole of the foot: away from (eversion)towards (inversion) the midline of the body. Eversion is the movement of the sole of the foot away from the median plane. Inversion is the movement of the sole towards the median plane.

Inversion and Eversion

ONS.HTML Exploring Articulations

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