Section A: Applied Anatomy and
Physiology
8. Movement analysis of sporting
actions associated with each joint
Syllabus
• Practical analysis of typical sporting actions
associated with each joint, to include
identification of joint, joint type, movement
occurring, working muscles, functions of the
muscles, type of contraction
For more information see the word
documents titled
‘Movement analysis table’
Basic analysis of movement can be done visually
and should involve the following:
• A description of the actual movements which
occur at the joints involved
• The plane(s) in which the movement occurs
• The muscles producing the movement
• The function of the muscles involved (agonists,
antagonists, synergists & fixators)
• The type of contraction (isotonic -concentric or
eccentric, isometric)
• The range of the muscle action (inner, middle,
outer)
Analysis of sprinting
• The leg action in running is one that takes place in a sagittal
plane about a frontal axis and involves the hip, knee and ankle
joints.
• The bones of the hip involved are the femur and pelvic girdle
which form a ball and socket joint.
The bones of the knee involved are the femur and tibia which
form a hinge joint.
The bones of the ankle involved are the tibia and calcaneus
which form a modified joint.
• Each of these joints produces two actions, one when the leg is in
contact with the ground (driving phase) and one when the leg is
not in contact with the ground (recovery phase).
Driving phase
Joints
involved
Hip
Action
Agonist Muscle
Gluteal muscles (gluteus maximus and gluteus
Extension and
minimus) and Hamstrings (biceps femoris,
hyperextension
semimembranosus, semitendinosus)
Knee
Extension
Ankle
Plantar flexion
Quadriceps group of muscles (rectus femoris,
vastus medialis, vastus lateralis and vastus
intermedialis)
Gastrocnemius
Recovery phase
Joints
involved
Action
Hip
Flexion
Iliopsoas
Flexion
Hamstrings (biceps femoris,
semimembranosus, semitendinosus)
Knee
Ankle
Agonist Muscle
Dorsi flexion Tibialis anterior
Analysis of throwing
•Throwing comprises of
two phases, the
preparatory phase and the
throwing phase.
•Most actions are
rotational in the transverse
plane and longitudinal
axis and the two joints
primarily involved are the
elbow and shoulder.
•The elbow is a hinge joint
formed by the humerus
and ulna.
•The shoulder is a ball and
socket joint formed
between the humerus and
the scapula.
Preparatory phase
Joints involved Articulating bones
Shoulder
Elbow
Humerus and
scapula
Action
Agonist Muscle
Horizontal
Posterior deltoids and latissimus
hyperextension dorsi
Humerus and ulna Extension
Triceps brachii
Throwing phase
Joints
involved
Articulating
bones
Action
Humerus and
Shoulder
scapula
Horizontal
flexion
Anterior deltoids and
Pectoralis major
Flexion
Biceps brachii
Elbow
Humerus and
ulna
Agonist Muscle
Analysis of racket strokes
•There are two phases to
striking a ball with a racket,
the preparatory phase and
the striking phase.
•Most actions are
rotational in the transverse
plane and longitudinal
axis and the three joints
concerned are the wrist,
elbow and the shoulder
•The elbow is a hinge joint
formed by the humerus
and ulna.
•The shoulder is a ball and
socket joint formed
between the humerus and
the scapula
•The wrist forms a
condyloid joint between
the ulna and carpal bones
Preparatory phase
Joints
involved
Articulating
Action
bones
Ulna and
carpal
Wrist
Supination
Radius and
ulna
Humerus and
Elbow
Extension
ulna
Agonist Muscle
Supinator
Triceps brachii
Humerus and Horizontal
Posterior deltoid and
Shoulder
scapula
hyperextension latissimus dorsi
Striking phase
Joints
involved
Articulating
bones
Action
Agonist Muscle
Wrist
Ulna and carpal
Pronation
Radius and ulna
Pronator teres
Elbow
Humerus and
ulna
Flexion
Biceps brachii
Shoulder
Humerus and
scapula
Horizontal flexion
Pectoralis major and
Anterior deltoid
Rotation
External obliques
Trunk
Analysis of jumping
•The action in jumping is
one that takes place in
a sagittal plane about a
transverse axis and
involves the hip, knee and
ankle joints.
•The bones of the hip
involved are the femur and
pelvic girdle which form a
ball and socket joint.
•The bones of the knee
involved are the femur and
tibia which form a hinge
joint.
•The bones of the ankle
involved are the tibia and
calcaneus which form a
modified joint.
Joints
involved
Hip>
Knee
Ankle
Action
Agonist Muscle
Gluteal muscles (gluteus maximus and gluteus
Extension and
minimus) and Hamstrings (biceps femoris,
hyperextension
semimembranosus, semitendinosus)
Extension
Quadriceps group of muscles (rectus femoris,
vastus medialis, vastus lateralis and vastus
intermedialis)
Plantar flexion Gastrocnemius
Analysis of kicking
•The action in kicking is one
that takes place in a sagittal
plane about a frontal axis and
involves the hip, knee and
ankle joints.
•The bones of the hip
involved are the femur and
pelvic girdle which form a ball
and socket joint.
•The bones of the knee
involved are the femur and
tibia which form a hinge joint.
•The bones of the ankle
involved are the tibia and
calcaneus which form a
modified joint.
•Kicking comprises of two
phases, the preparatory
phase and the kicking phase.
Preparatory phase
Joints
involved
Hip
Knee
Ankle
Action
Agonist Muscle
Extension and Gluteal muscles (gluteus maximus and
hyperextension gluteus minimus)
Flexion
Hamstrings (biceps femoris,
semimembranosus, semitendinosus)
Plantar flexion Gastrocnemius
Kicking phase
Joints
involved
Action
Hip
Flexion
Knee
Ankle
Agonist Muscle
Iliopsoas
Quadriceps group of muscles (rectus
Extension femoris, vastus medialis, vastus
lateralis and vastus intermedialis)
Plantar
flexion
Gastrocnemius