Translation: all parts of a body travel exactly the same distance, in the same direction, in the same time.
Rectilinear translation – straight line translation
Curvilinear Translation – curved line translation
Angular (rotational) motion: – all parts of the body, move along a circular path about the same point called the axis of rotation, so that all parts travel through the same angle, in the same direction, in the same time.
General Motion: a combination of translation and rotation - most movements are difficult to classify into pure translation or rotation .
Superior (cranial) – closer to the head
Inferior (caudal) – farther from the head
Anterior (ventral)– toward the front of the body
Posterior (dorsal) – toward the back of the body
Medial - closer to the mid-line
Lateral – further from the mid-line
Proximal – closer to the trunk
Distal - farther from the trunk
Palmer (volar)– palm side of hand
Plantar (volar) - sole of foot
Dorsal – back of hand / top of foot
Superficial/deep – closer to the surface/farther from the surface
In the sagittal plane about the mediolateral axis.
Flexion – decreasing joint angle or anteriorly directed rotations of the head, trunk, upper arm, forearm, hand, and upper leg. Posteriorly directed movement of the lower leg
Extension – increasing joint angle (back to anatomical position) or returns a body segment to the anatomical position from flexion
Hyperextension – movement of the joint angle beyond the anatomical position in the opposite direction to flexion
Plantar flexion – top of the foot away from the tibia
Dorsiflexion – top of the foot toward the tibia
In the frontal plane about the anteroposterior axis
ABduction – movement away from the midline
ADduction – movement towards the midline
Lateral Flexion (head and trunk)
Elevation – upward movement
Depression – downward movement
Inversion – sole of the foot inward (medially)
Eversion – sole of the foot outward (laterally)
Rotation:
• Left / Right rotation – for head, neck, and trunk
• Medial rotation – rotation towards the midline
• Lateral rotation – rotation away from the midline
Pronation – rotation of forearm/hand towards the midline
Supination – rotation of forearm/hand away from the midline
Protraction – movement forward
Retraction – movement backward
Special case
Circumduction – distal end of limb moves in a circle while the proximal end is stable.