Anatomical of movement and planes

Question 1

What is the anatomical position?

Answer 1

The anatomical position is the usual way to look at patients and anatomical specimens. They should be standing, facing forwards with the upper limbs by side, palms of hands facing anteriorly and feet together. The toes should be pointing anteriorly.

Question 2

Name and describe six positions patients can be in

Answer 2

• Seated
• Supine- lying on their back
• Prone- lying on their stomach
• Front- they are standing but not in anatomical position
• Side- you are standing to the side of them
• Behind

Question 3

What is a sagittal plane?

Answer 3

This involves splitting a body into a right and a left part and is vertical. A para sagittal plane is away from the midline causing an unequal split and a medial sagittal plane gives equal parts.

Question 4

What is coronal plane?

Answer 4

This involves having a front and back part and is also a vertical cut.

Question 5

What is an axial plane?

Answer 5

This is a horizontal cut through the body. Oblique sections are those taken at angles.

Question 6

What are the meanings of anterior and posterior?

Answer 6

These refer to horizontally across the body
Anterior- nearer to the front of the body.
Posterior- nearer to the back of the body.

Question 7

What are the meanings of superior/cranial and inferior/caudal?

Answer 7

These refer to vertically down the body
Superior or cranial- nearer to the top of the head.
Inferior or caudal- nearer to the soles of the feet.

Question 8

What are the meanings of medial and lateral?

Answer 8

These refer to how close you are to the body’s midline
Medial- nearer to the midline.
Lateral- further from the midline.

Question 9

What are the meanings of proximal and distal?

Answer 9

These refer to how close they are to the attachment of the limb
Proximal- nearer to the attachment of the limb to the body
Distal- further from the attachment to the limb to the body

Question 10

What are the meanings of superficial and deep?

Answer 10

These refer to depth within the body
Superficial- nearer to the surface
Deep- further from the surface

Question 11

What are the meanings of external and internal?

Answer 11

These refer to the distance from centre of a body or organ
External- further from centre of body or organ
Internal- nearer to the centre of body or organ

Question 12

What can dorsal refer to?

Answer 12

Dorsal- this refers to either

1) Posterior surface of wrist (back of your wrist)
2) Posterior surface of hand (back of your hand- not your palm basically)
3) Posterior surface of tongue (this is actually the side on top)
4) Superior surface of foot (top of your foot- not the sole basically)

Question 13

What are the four opposites to dorsal?

Answer 13

1) Volar- anterior surface of the wrist (bit that attaches to your palm)
2) Palmar- anterior surface of hand (the palm of your hand)
3) Ventral- anterior surface of tongue (underside of your tongue)
4) Plantar- inferior surface of foot (the sole of the foot)

Question 14

What are the meanings of major and minor?

Answer 14

Major is the bigger thing with the same name and minor is the smaller.

Question 15

What does unilateral mean?

Answer 15

The structure is normally found on one side of the body.

Question 16

What does bilateral mean?

Answer 16

Normally paired structures that have a right and left.

Question 17

What does the midline mean?

Answer 17

Structures that are located at or near the midline.

Question 18

What does ipsilateral mean?

Answer 18

Structure lies on the same side of the body as the other structure of location it is being compared to.

Question 19

What does contralateral mean?

Answer 19

Structure lies on the opposite side of the body to the other structure or location it is being compared to.

Question 20

What does extension and flexion mean?

Answer 20

• Flexion- decreasing the angle between the bones at a joint e.g. bringing your arm up. (all anterior movements at joints superior to the knee joint are flexions)
• Extension- increasing the angle between the bones at a joint e.g. stretching your arm down (from the knee joint down all anterior movements are extensions)

Question 21

What does abduction and adduction mean?

Answer 21

• Abduction- movement away from the median plane (moving your arm out to the side)
• Adduction- movement towards the median plane (moving your arm back to your side)

Question 22

What does internal/ medial rotation and external/ lateral rotation refer to?

Answer 22

• Internal/ medial rotation- anterior surface of a limb rotates towards the median plane, towards the body (moving your right hand to the left)
• External/ lateral rotation- anterior surface of the limb rotates away from the median plane, away from the body (moving your right hand to the right)

Question 23

What does circumduction refer to?

Answer 23

Circular motion at a joint (combination of movements that results in rotation)

Question 24

What does lateral flexion refer to?

Answer 24

Bending sideways

Question 25

What does elevation and depression refer to?

Answer 25

• Elevation- superior movement (moving/shrugging your shoulders up)
• Depression- inferior movement (moving your shoulders back down)

Question 26

What does protraction and retraction refer to?

Answer 26

• Protraction- anterior movement (moving your jaw or shoulders forward)
• Retraction- posterior movement (moving your jaw or shoulders backwards)

Question 27

What does eversion and inversion refer to?

Answer 27

• Eversion- the sole of the foot rotates away from the median plane.
• Inversion- the sole of the foot rotates towards the median plane such that the sole faces medially.

Question 28

What does pronation and supination refer to?

Answer 28

• Pronation- the anterior surface of the forearm rotates such that the palm of the hand faces posteriorly (your palms are facing the floor)
• Supination- the forearm rotates from the pronated position back to anatomical position (the position you would need to hold soup!)

Question 29

Explain abduction, adduction, extension, flexion, opposition and reposition as being specific to the thumb.

Answer 29

• Abduction- taking the thumb anteriorly away from the palm (putting your thumb forward creating a right angle with the rest of your fingers).
• Adduction- adding the thumb back to the palm after abduction.
• Extension- taking your thumb out to the side.
• Flexion- folding your thumb across your palm.
• Opposition- touch your thumb with the digits.
• Reposition- returning the thumb after opposition with the digits.