Basic Anatomy
1. Anatomical
Reference
Position
- erect standing
position
- feet slightly
separated
- arms hanging
relaxed at the
sides
- palms of hands
facing forward
2. Directional Terms
- Right/Left: toward right or left side
- Superior / inferior: closer/farther to/from the head = cranial/caudal
- Anterior (ventral) / posterior (dorsal): toward the front/back of the body =
ventral/dorsal
- Medial / laterial: toward/away from the midline of the body
- Proximal / distal: closer/away to/from the trunk
- Superficial / deep: inside the body and toward/away from the body surface
- Contralateral/ipsilateral: on other side/on same side
3. Anatomical Planes
- Sagittal plane: splits body vertically into left and right sections = anteroposterior
plane
- Frontal plane: splits body vertically into front & back sections = coronal plane
- Transverse plane: splits body into top & bottom sections
- Diagonal plane: not a "cardinal" plane (used to describe many sport movements)
4. Anatomical Axes
- Frontal axis - imaginary line around which sagittal plane rotations occur
- Sagittal axis - imaginary line around which frontal plane rotations occur
- Longitudinal axis - imaginary line around which transverse plane rotations occur
Joint Motions
1. Sagittal Plane Motion
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Flexion/Extension - reduce or increase joint angle back to anatomical
Hyperextension - extension beyond anatomical
Dorsiflexion - bringing toes toward tibia
Plantar flexion -point/plant toes or ball of the foot
2. Frontal Plane Motion
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Abduction / Adduction - moves away from/closer to body midline
Lateral flexion - trunk and neck
Elevation / Depression - scapula (shoulder girdle)
Radial / Ulnar deviation - wrist
Inversion / Eversion: inward (medially)/outward (laterally) rotation of the sole of
the foot
3. Transverse Plane Motion
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Medial/Lateral rotation - rotation toward/away from midline on the body
Left/Right rotation - head, neck & trunk
Pronation/Supination - forearm
Horizontal Adduction/Abduction: arm or leg flexed at 90 degrees
Protraction (Scapular Abduction)/Retraction (Scapular Adduction) shoulder girdle forward and backward to anatamical position
4. Complex/Special/Odd Joint Motions - no particular anatomical axis or plane,
sometimes multiple axes or planes are involved
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Circumduction - combination of flexion/extension, abduction/adduction &
rotation resulting conical motion
Diagonal Abduction/Adduction - diagonally away from and toward midline
Upward Rotation of Shoulder Girdle - (transverse and frontal plane movement)
turning glenoid fossa upward and moving inferior angle superiorly and laterally
away from spinal column (up for lat pull)
Downward Rotation of Shoulder Girdle - returning inferior angle medially and
inferiorly toward spinal column and glenoid fossa to normal (lat pull)
Opposition - diagonal movement, thumb goes across hand (diagonal plane)
Pelvic Forward/Backward Rotation - top of pelvis goes forward/back (sagital
plane)
Lateral Tilt - lower and raise one hip (pelvic girdle), walking steps
Pelvic Transverse Rotation - open up the hips (one side of pelvis is more
anterior), baseball, javelin
Additional terms to know - Prone - face down, Supine - face up
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Angular motion (Rotation): rotation around an axis of rotation
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anatomical reference
position (30)
erect standing position with all body parts, including the palms of the hands,
facing forward, considered the starting position for body segment
movements
angular (28)
motion involving rotation around a central line or point
axis of rotation (28)
imaginary line perpendicular to the plane of rotation and passing through
the center of rotation
frontal axis (32)
imaginary line around which sagittal plane rotations occur
frontal plane (32)
plane in which lateral movements of the body and body segments occur
linear (28)
motion along a line that may be straight or curved, with all parts of the body
moving in the same direction at the same speed
longitudinal axis (32)
imaginary line around which transverse plane rotations occur
sagittal axis (32)
imaginary line around which frontal plane rotations occur