Planes Of Movement, Positions, Directions

Front 1

Sagitall plane

Back 1

Divides body into left and right halves.
The descriptive terms medial and lateral correlate to the sagittal plane; the actions of flexion and extension occur along this plane. The midline (or midsagittal plane) runs down the center of the body, dividing the sagittal plane in two symmetrical halves.

Front 2

Coronal (Frontal) plane

Back 2

Divides body into front and back portions.
The terms anterior and posterior relate to the Coronal (Frontal) plane; the actions of adduction and abduction happen along this plane.

Front 3

Transverse plane

Back 3

Dividing the body into upper and lower parts.
Terms superior and inferior refer to the transverse plane; rotation happens within this plane.

Front 4

Superior

Back 4

Refers to a structure closer to the head.
"The nose is superior to the navel."

Front 5

Inferior

Back 5

Refers to a structure closer to the feet.
"The navel is inferior to the nose."

Front 6

Posterior (Dorsal)

Back 6

Concerns a structure further toward the back of the body than another structure.

Front 7

Anterior (Ventral)

Back 7

refers to a structure further in front of the body than another structure.

Front 8

Medial

Back 8

Pertains to a structure closer to the midline (or center) of the body.

Front 9

Lateral

Back 9

Refers to a structure further away from the midline of the body.
"The last pinkie toe is lateral to the big toe."

Front 10

Distal

Back 10

means a structure further away from the trunk or the body's midline.

Front 11

Proximal

Back 11

Designates a structure closer to the trunk.
Distal/Proximal are used only when refering to the arms and legs.
"The foot is distal to the thigh."

Front 12

Superfical

Back 12

Describes a structure closer to the body's surface.

"The abdominal muscles are superficial to the intestines."

Front 13

Deep

Back 13

Refers to a structure deeper in the body.

"The intestines are deep to the abdominal muscles."

Front 14

Extension

Back 14

A movement that straightens or opens a joint.
In anatomical position, most joints are extened.
When a joint can extend beyond its called hyperextension.

Front 15

Flexion

Back 15

A movement that bends a joint or brings the bones closer together.

Both Flexion and Extension take place along the sagital plane.

Front 16

Adduction

Back 16

A joint brings a limb medially toward the body's midline.
"Adding to the body"
To adduct the toes is to bring them together.

Adduction and Abduction happen along the frontal plane and pertain only to the appendages.

Front 17

Abduction

Back 17

Moves a limb laterally away from the midline.
"Abduct or carry away"
To abduct the toes is to bring them apart.

Front 18

Medial rotation
aka
Internal rotation

Back 18

Occur at the shoulder and hip joints.
When the joint medially rotates, the limb turns in toward the midline.

Front 19

Lateral rotation
aka
external rotation

Back 19

Occur at the shoulder and hip joints.
Lateral rotation swings limbs away from midline.

Front 20

Rotation

Back 20

Pertains only to the axial skeleton (p 40), specifically the head and neck occurs as a driver in the next lane. These movements happen along the transverse plane.

Front 21

Circumduction

Back 21

Is possible only at the shoulder and hip joints. It involves a combination of:
Flexion, Extension, Adduction, Abduction.
Together these actions create a cone-shape movement (1.9).
Swimming the backstroke requires circumduction at the shoulder joint.

Front 22

Prone

Back 22

Is the position of lying on the table face down.

Front 23

Supine

Back 23

Is the position of lying on the table face up. ("On your spine")

Front 24

Sidelying

Back 24

Lying on the table on your side.

Front 25

Lateral flexion

Back 25

Occurs only at the axial skeleton.
example: When the head or vertebral column bend laterally to the side.

Front 26

Supination

Back 26

Describe the pivoting action of the forearm and also occurs at the feet.
Supination ("Carrying a bowl of soup") occurs when the radius and ulna lie parallel to one another.

Front 27

Pronation

Back 27

Describes the pivoting action of the forearm and also occurs at the feet.
Pronation ("prone to spill a bowl of soup") takes place when the radius crosses over the ulna, turning the palm down.

Front 28

Opposition

Back 28

Happens only at the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb. It occurs when the thumbpad crosses the palm toward the last (pinkie) finger.

Front 29

Inversion

Back 29

Occur as a combination of movements of several joints of the feet.
Inversion ("turn in") elevates the foot's medial side and brings the sole of the foot medially.

Front 30

Eversion

Back 30

Occur as a combination of movements of several joints of the feet.
Eversion ("turn out") elevates the foot's lateral side and moves sole laterally.

Front 31

Plantar flexion

Back 31

Only refer to movement at the ankle.
Is performed by moving the ankle to point your foot into the earth or stepping on a car's gas pedal.

Front 32

Dorsiflexion

Back 32

Only refers to movement a the ankle.
Is the opposite movement of plantar flexion.
Such as moving the ankle to let off the gas pedal.

Front 33

Protraction

Back 33

Pertains to the scapula, clavicle, head and jaw.
Protraction ("protrude") occurs when one of these structures moves anteriorly.

Front 34

Retraction

Back 34

Pertains to scapula, clavicle, head, jaw.
Retraction ("retreat") is movement posteriorly.

Front 35

Elevation

Back 35

Refers to the movement of scapula and jaw.
Elevation is movement superiorly.

Front 36

Depression

Back 36

Refers to the movement of scapula and jaw.
Depression is movement inferiorly.

Front 37

Deviation

Back 37

Means to wander from the usual course. Lateral deviaton occurs at the mandible during talking or chewing.