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- Flexion and Extension. Flexion and extension are movements that occur in the sagittal plane. They refer to increasing and decreasing the angle between two body parts
- 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 is a movement away from the midline – just as abducting someone is to take them away.
- Medial and Lateral Rotation. Medial and lateral rotation describe movement of the limbs around their long axis: Medial rotation is a rotational movement towards the midline.
- Elevation and Depression. Elevation refers to movement in a superior direction (e.g. shoulder shrug), depression refers to movement in an inferior direction.
- Flexion vs Extension
- Elbow Flexion and Extension
- Shoulder Flexion and Extension
- Wrist Flexion and Extension
- Finger Flexion and Extension
- Thumb Flexion and Extension
- Hip Flexion and Extension
- Knee Flexion and Extension
- Toe Flexion and Extension
- Neck Flexion and Extension
Flexion decreases the angle between two structures or joints as they bend or move closer together, whereas extensionincreases the angle between them as they straighten and move apart.
Elbow flexion (also called forearm flexion) occurs when the angle between the forearm and arm decreases, allowing the ulna of the forearm to move closer to the humerus bone of the arm. In contrast, elbow extension (forearm extension) occurs when the forearm moves away from the arm, increasing the angle between those bones.
Shoulder flexion, also called arm flexion, occurs when the angle at the humerus of the arm and the scapula decreases as the arms move anteriorly. In contrast, shoulder extension (or arm extension) occurs when the angle at the humerus of the arm and the scapula increases, causing the arm to move posteriorly. The joint here allows movement past the a...
Wrist flexion (also called hand flexion) occurs when the angle between the palm of the hand and the anterior surface of the forearm decreases, while wrist extension (or hand extension) is moving the palm of the hand away from the anterior surface of the forearm, hence the angle increases. This is another joint that can continue to move past the ana...
Finger flexion occurs when the angle between the fingers and the palm decreases, as the fingers move toward the palm. When the angle between the fingers and the palm increases, finger extensionoccurs. Flexion and extension also occur with the interphalangeal jointsof the fingers (digits 2-5), including the distal interphalangeal joint (dip) and pro...
The thumb (pollex) can confuse people because thumb flexion and extension occur in the frontal plane, which is a different direction than flexion of the fingers, which occurred in the sagittal plane. Thumb flexion moves the thumb toward the pinky finger, whereas extension moves the thumb away from the pinky finger. Think of your palm as a windshiel...
Hip flexion (or thigh flexion) occurs when the angle between the femur of the thigh and hipbone decreases as the thigh moves anteriorly (forward). Hip extension (thigh extension) occurs when the angle between the femur and the hip bone increases, as the hip joint straightens. This joint also allows posterior movement past the anatomical position, w...
Knee flexion (leg flexion) occurs when the tibia bone moves toward the femur, causing the angle to decrease between those two structures. Knee extension (or leg extension) occurs as the angle between the leg bones increases, causing the leg to straighten.
Like the fingers, toe flexion and extensioncan also occur. Toe flexion involves bending the toes toward the sole of the foot, decreasing the angle between these two structures, while toe extension involves increasing the angle and straightening the toes. Note: instead of using flexion and extension for the movement of the foot at the ankle joint, a...
Neck flexion occurs as the angle between the head and the trunk of the body decreases as those two structures move closer together, whereas neck extension occurs as the head moves away from the trunk of the body, thus increasing the angle. The neck is another structure that can continue posteriorly, beyond the anatomical position, which some anatom...
Mar 24, 2019 · Flexion and extension. When talking about flexion and extension, we are usually referring to these movements as they occur about the coronal axis, and along the sagittal plane. Flexion refers to decreasing a joint angle, and extension to increasing the joint angle back to resting anatomical position.
Jul 11, 2023 · A Guide to Body Planes and Their Movements. What they are. Coronal plane. Sagittal plane. Transverse plane. Anatomical position. Body cavities. Bottom line. Three anatomical body planes can...
Use appropriate anatomical terminology to identify key body structures, body regions, and directions in the body. Demonstrate the anatomical position. Describe the human body using directional and regional terms. Identify three planes most commonly used in the study of anatomy. Distinguish between major body cavities.
- Lindsay M. Biga, Sierra Dawson, Amy Harwell, Robin Hopkins, Joel Kaufmann, Mike LeMaster, Philip Mat...
- 2019
Anatomical directions are used to orient the position of a body part in relation to the rest of the body. Superior: Above; towards the head Inferior: Below; towards the feet. Proximal: Closer to an attached area, or the trunk Distal: Further from an attached area, or the trunk. Medial: Toward the midline Lateral: Away from the midline.
Flexion – bending a joint. This occurs when the angle of a joint decreases. For example, the elbow flexes when performing a biceps curl. Extension – straightening a joint. This occurs when...
