Terms of Position and Movement
Terms of Position and Movement
Terms of Position and Movement
TOPIC:
TERMS OF POSITION AND MOVEMENT
BY
M. A. AMADI
LEARNING GOAL: Terms of Position & Movement
• LEARNING OBJECTIVES – At the end of the lecture,
students should be able to:
• Know the names given to specific regions of the body for
reference
• Describe the position of one body part relative to another
• Describe sections and anatomical planes
• Describe the various movements of the body
• Describe the range of motion at various joints
Anatomical Position (AP)
• AP refers to a body position whereby a person is
standing erect, with the:
• Anterior • Distal
• Posterior • Proximal
• Ventral • Superficial
• Intermediate
• Dorsal
• Deep
• Superior
• Cranial
• Inferior
• Caudal
• Medial • Palmar
• Median • Dorsal (of hand)
• Lateral - (unilateral, bilateral, • Plantar
contralateral, ipsilateral – Terms of • Dorsal (of foot)
laterality)
Anterior
• A position in front or
nearer to the front
Posterior
• A position in the back or
nearer to the back.
Anterior Posterior
Ventral
• Towards the front or belly
Dorsal
• Towards the back
Superior
• Higher than another structure
in the body or closer to the
head.
Inferior
• Lower than another structure
in the body or closer to the feet
Cranial (Cephalic)
• Towards the head or skull
Caudal
• Towards the tail (coccyx in
humans)
Rostral
• Nearer the anterior part of the
head (e.g., the frontal lobe of the
brain is rostral to the cerebellum).
Medial
• Nearer to the midline or median plane of the
body.
Median
• Midline of the body
Lateral
• Farther away from the median plane.
Bilateral
• On both sides of the body
Ipsilateral
• On the same side
Contralateral
• On opposite sides
Distal
• Farther away from the
attachment of a limb
Proximal
• Nearer to the attachment of a
limb
Deep
• The position of an underlying structure; more internal or
closer to the core of the body e.g. the lungs
Intermediate
• Between a superficial and deep e.g. the biceps,
intermediate between skin and the humerus
Prone
• Lying face down
Supine
• Lying face up
Palmar
• Anterior surface of hand or palm of hand (palmar)
Plantar
• Inferior surface of foot (sole)
• They include:
– Median/sagittal/midsagittal plane
– Frontal/coronal plane
– Transverse/horizontal plane
Anatomical Planes
Sagittal plane
• The plane dividing the body
into right and left portions
Extension
• Straightening a joint or increasing
the angle at a joint.
Hyperextension
• Abnormal or excessive extension of a joint beyond its normal
range of motion, thus resulting in injury.
Hyperflexion
• Excessive flexion at a joint beyond its normal range of motion,
thereby resulting in injury.
• In cases of “whiplash” in
region.
Adduction
• Moving a body part towards the
midline of the body
Abduction
• Moving a body part away from the
midline of the body
Pronation
• Turning the arm or foot downward
(palm or sole of the foot - down)
Supination
• Turning the arm or foot upward
(palm or sole of the foot - up)
Retraction
• Moving a part backward
Protraction
• Moving a part forward
Elevation
• Raising a part
Depression
• Lowering a part
Retrusion
• Moving backwards (tongue, mandible)
Rotation
• Turning or revolving a part of the body around its
longitudinal axis
Circumduction
• Tri-planar, circular motion at the hip or
shoulder.
moves in a circle.
Medial (internal) rotation
• Rotation of the hip or shoulder toward the
midline
Plantarflexion
• Ankle movement pointing the foot
downward
Movements (of the wrist and thumb)
Deviation
• Movement of the wrist joint towards the
radial or ulnar sides (radial deviation, ulnar
deviation)
Radial Deviation
• Movement of the wrist towards the radius or
lateral side.
Ulnar Deviation
• Movement of the wrist towards the ulna or
medial side.
Movements (of the wrist and thumb)
Opposition
• Touching the pad of any one of
the fingers with the thumb of the
same hand.
Reposition
• Separating the pad of any of the
fingers from the thumb of the
same hand
REGIONS
• Head and Neck
• Trunk
–Thorax
–Abdomen
–Pelvis & Perineum