Introduction to Anatomy
Understanding Anatomy
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It’s the foundation of many health care
professions
An ATC needs to have an excellent
understanding of anatomy in order to
determine what structures have been
injured
They also need to understand what
constitutes normal movements in order to
design appropriated rehabilitation and
strength conditioning programs
Anatomical position
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There is a particular alignment of the body
which all medical professionals use as a
standard
Refers to an erect stance, arms at the
sides, and palms facing forward.
The body moves in relation to 3 planes
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Frontal-cuts body in half from front to back
Sagittal-cuts body in half from left to right
Transverse-cuts body in half from top to
bottom
Common Medical Terms of Location
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Anterior-refers to the front of the body
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Posterior-refers to the back of the body
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Ex. Anterior aspect of the lower leg means the
front of the leg was injured
Ex. If the back of the knee hurts, it’s the
posterior aspect of the knee
Medial –towards the middle (sagittal
plane)
Lateral-towards the outside (sagittal
plane)
Common Medical Terms of Location
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Proximal-means toward an attachment (such
as where the limb attaches to the trunk)
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Distal-means away from the attachment
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The knee is distal to the hip
Superior-refers to one point or structure
being higher than another
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Ex. The shoulder is proximal to the elbow
The knee is superior to the ankle
Inferior-refers to one point being lower than
another
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The pelvis is inferior to the ribs
Common Medical Terms of Location
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Dorsal-refers to the posterior aspect of the
foot or hand
Ventral-refers to the anterior aspect of the
foot or hand
Superficial-means close to the body’s
surface
Deep-means away from the body’s surface
Bones
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Bones have 3 primary functions
Protect vital organs and structures from
trauma
 Bones are stiff structures that are acted on by
muscles to create movement
 Bones are metabolically active; the produce
blood cells and store minerals
**bones also protect the nerves and blood
vessels that travel alongside them
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Skeleton
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Made up of approximately 206 bones and
an astounding number of muscles
The skeleton is categorized into 2 parts:
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Axial skeleton-spine, thorax, skull
Appendicular-bones of the extremities
Types of Bones
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Long (like the femur)
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At the end of each long bone is an area where
growth occurs
Called the epiphysis (growth plate)
Vulnerable to injury during adolescence
Short (like the metacarpals)
Flat (like the scapula)
Irregular (like the vertebra)
Cartilage
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Covers the ends of long bones and can be
found between bones.
Functions of cartilage:
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Join structures (example: the ribs and
sternum)
Absorb shock
Permit smooth bone movement
Muscles
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Contractions allow the body to:
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accelerate,
decelerate,
stop movement
Help maintain normal postural alignment
**muscles produce heat as well
Ligaments and Tendons
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Both are composed of connective tissue
Tendons attach muscle to bone
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Transmit the force that a muscle exerts
Ligaments connect bones
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Help form joints
Classification of Joints
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Diarthrodial (aka synovial joints)
Consist of a joint capsule, synovial
membrane, hyaline cartilage, and
ligaments
Examples are hinge joints (elbow and
knee) and multiaxial or ball-and-socket
joints (shoulder and hip)
Classification of Joints
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Amphiarthrodial-have cartilage
attaching 2 bones together
Aka cartilaginous joints
Example is where the ribs join the
sternum
Classification of Joints
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Synarthrodial-held together by tough
connective tissue and are basically
immovable
Aka fibrous joints
This type of joint joins the bones of the
skull and the tibia and fibula of the lower
leg
Movement terminology
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Flexion-a bending movement around a joint in a
limb away from its straightened position
Extension-astraightening movement around a
joint to restore it to anatomical position
Abduction-movement away from the midline of
the body
Adduction-movement toward the midline of the
body
Movement terminology
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Pronation-a movement that turns the palm of
the hand downward as if it were emptying a
bowl of soup
Supination-a movement that turns the palm of
the hand upward as if it were holding a bowl of
soup
Inversion-a movement that turns the sole of the
foot inward, toward the midline of the body
Eversion-a movement that turns the sole of the
foot outward, away from the midline of the body
Movement terminology
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Protraction-movement of the scapulas
away from one another
Retraction-when the scapulas are moved
or pulled together
Rotation-the spinning or turning
movement of a bony segment around an
axis
Circumduction-movement of a limb in a
circular pattern