Anatomical Positioning

Question 1

What is FLEXION?

Answer 1

Decreasing the angle of the joint, bending the joint.

Question 2

What is EXTENSION?

Answer 2

Increasing the angle of the joint, extending.

Question 3

What is DORSIFLEXION?

Answer 3

Decreasing the angle of the ankle joint.

Question 4

What is PLANTARFLEXION?

Answer 4

Increasing the angle of the ankle joint.

Question 5

What is ELEVATION?

Answer 5

Moving a body part in a superior (upwards) motion.

Question 6

What is DEPRESSION?

Answer 6

Moving a body part in an inferior (downwards) motion.

Question 7

What is EVERSION?

Answer 7

Rotating the ankle so the sole of the foot points away from the other.

Question 8

What is INVERSION?

Answer 8

Rotating the ankle so that the sole of the floor points towards the other.
IN - facing in

Question 9

What is ABDUCTION?

Answer 9

Moving a limb away from the centre (medial) line of the body.

Question 10

What is ADDUCTION?

Answer 10

Moving a limb back to the medial line.

Question 11

What is LATERAL ROTATION?

Answer 11

Rotating a limb away from the medial line of the body.

Question 12

What is MEDIAL ROTATION?

Answer 12

Rotating a limb back to the medial line.

Question 13

What is PRONATION?

Answer 13

Rotating the forearm so the palm faces DOWN when the forearm is flexed.

Question 14

What is SUPINATION?

Answer 14

Where the forearm and palm are facing UP (inferior).

Question 15

What is RETRACTION?

Answer 15

The posterior movement (towards back of body) of arm and shoulders.

Question 16

What is PROTRACTION?

Answer 16

Anterior movement (towards front of body) of arm and shoulders).

Question 17

What is LATERAL FLEXION?

Answer 17

Bending the spine to the side, away from the centre (medial) line of the body.

Question 18

What is the ANATOMICAL POSITION?

Answer 18

Reece, standing still, upper limbs at the side, palms facing forwards.

Question 19

What do we mean by ANTERIOR? Give an example.

Answer 19

Anterior means forwards, ventral, at the front of the body e.g. The breastbone is anterior to the spine.

Question 20

What do we mean by POSTERIOR? Give an example.

Answer 20

Posterior is backwards, at the back e.g. The heart is posterior to the sternum.

Question 21

What do we mean by SUPERIOR? Example.

Answer 21

To the top of the body, towards the head e.g. The forehead is superior to the nose.

Question 22

What do we mean by INFERIOR? Example.

Answer 22

Below, towards the feet e.g. The knee is inferior to the hip.

Question 23

What do we mean by LATERAL? Example.

Answer 23

To the side, away from the medial line e.g. The lungs are lateral to the heart.

Question 24

What do we mean by MEDIAL? Example.

Answer 24

To the centre, towards the medial line e.g.the breast is medial to the forearm.

Question 25

What do we mean by PROXIMAL? Example.

Answer 25

Close to the torso or situated ‘close to’ another body part e.g. The shoulder is proximal to the elbow.

Question 26

What is DISTAL? Example.

Answer 26

Situated ‘further away’ or ‘at a distance’ to another body part. Further away from the torso e.g. The foot is distal to the thigh.

Question 27

What is IPSILATERAL?

Answer 27

On the same side of the body.

Question 28

What is CONTRALATERAL?

Answer 28

On the opposite side of the body.

Question 29

What is SUPERFICIAL?

Answer 29

Towards the surface of the body, peripheral.

Question 30

What is DEEP?

Answer 30

More internal.

Question 31

Describe the SAGITTAL PLANE.

Answer 31

Cutting through the medial line of the body so you have one arm and one leg in each plane.

Question 32

Describe the CORONAL PLANE.

Answer 32

Splitting the body between the anterior and posterior, so bum and breast are in separate planes.

Question 33

Describe the TRANSVERSE PLANE.

Answer 33

Cutting through the torso so the head and arms are in one plane, and the legs and feet are in another.