Anatomical Terms of Motion
Circumduction
• Circular Movement of a
limb.
• What other joints
circumduct?
Rotation
• Movement of a bone
around its own long axis
• What other parts of
your body rotate?
Supination/Pronation
• Supination: Movement of
the body part so that it is
face up or forward.
• Pronation: Movement of
the body part so that it
faces down or back.
• Can you supinate or
pronate any other part of
your body?
Dorsi-Flexion
• Bending the foot at the
ankle so that the toes
move up toward the
shin (toe raise).
• Dorsi-flexion only
occurs in the foot.
Plantar Flexion
• Movement of the toes
and foot away from the
shin bone in the sagittal
plane.
• Plantar flexion only
occurs in the foot
Protraction
• An anterior movement
• E.g. Pushing your
shoulders forward.
Retraction
• A posterior movement
• E.g. Pulling your
shoulder blades back
and together.
• What other body parts
can you protract and
retract?
Inversion
• Turning in of the soles
of the feet so they face
each other.
Eversion
• Turning out the soles of
the feet so they face
away from each other.
• What other body parts
can be inverted and
everted?
Extension
• An increase in the angle
between two bones
• *be ware of the
difference between hip
extension and knee
extension
Flexion
• A decrease in angle
between two bones
• What other body parts
can you flex?
• *be ware of the
difference between hip
Flexion and knee
flexion.
Hyperextension
• Continuing extension
beyond normal
anatomical position.
- What joints of the body
would hyperextend and
which joints would not?
Elevation/Depression
• Elevation: Upward
movement of a body
part (usually applies to
shoulder)
• Depression: Downward
movement of a body
part (usually applies to
shoulder)
Adduction
• Movement of a limb or
body segment toward
the midline of the body.
Abduction
• Movement of a limb or
body segment away
from the midline of the
body.
• What other parts of
your body can Adduct
and abduct?