Chapter 5: Human Movement Science Flashcards
Biomechanics
The study of how internal and external forces affect a living body (especially for the skeletal system)
Superior
A position above a point of reference.
Inferior
A position below a point of reference.
Proximal
A position near the center of your body or a point of reference. Your knee joint is more proximal to your hip joint then your ankle joint is
Distal
A position that is farther away from the center of your body or point of reference. Your ankle is more distal to your hips then your knees are
Anterior (Ventral)
This refers to the front of your body facing forward. Your chest is anterior on your body
Posterior (Dorsal)
This refers to the back of your body. Your back and your hamstrings are posterior.
Medial
This refers to things close to the midline of the body. Your adductors are closer to the midline of your body compared to your abductors
Lateral
Positioned on the outside of the body. Your ears are on the lateral side of your head
Contralateral
These are things located on the opposite side of your body. Your left foot is contralateral to your right hand.
Ipsilateral
These are things located on the same side of your body. You are left foot is ipsilateral to your left hand.
Anatomic position
The anatomic position is important as a point of reference for anatomic nomenclature. The anatomic position is when the body is erect, the arms at your side and your palms facing forward. This way we can reference what is posterior, anterior, medial or lateral by referencing this default position.
Sagittal plane
The sagittal plane splits the body into a right half and they left half. Extension and flexion are movements in this plane.
Flexion
This is a bending movement where a relative angle between two adjacent sections decreases. It’s easier to imagine two separate reference points. A good example is of knee flexion. In this example, the two reference points are your calves and your hamstrings. As knee flexion occurs, the distance between your calves and hand strings decrease as they get closer to one another. As the knee goes into extension they move further away from each other, or the relative angle increases with the knee extension and decreases with knee flexion
Extension
This is the opposite of flexion. The relative angle between adjacent sections increases as with my knee extension example above.
Hyperextension
This is the extension beyond the normal limits of the body.
Frontal plane
This is a vertical plane that has right angles compared to the sagittal plane breaking up the body between frontal and posterior planes.
Abduction
The act that typically moves a limb away from the midline of the body in the frontal plane.
Adduction
The act that typically moves a limb towards the midline of the body in the frontal plane
Transverse plane
The plane that divides the body into a lower and upper section.
Internal rotation
When a limb rotates in the transverse plane going towards the midline of the body. If looked from a bird’s eye view, a limb moving counterclockwise going towards the midline of the body.
External rotation
When a limb rotates in the transverse plane going away from the midline of the body. If looked at from a bird’s eye view, a limb moving clockwise away from the midline of the body.
Horizontal adduction
Imagine the movement of a chest fly.
Horizontal abduction
Imagine the movement of a rear deltoid fly
Scapular motion
The act of moving the shoulder blades away from the midline.
Scapular retraction
The act of moving the shoulder blades in the direction of the midline.
Scapular elevation:
The act of elevating the shoulder blades towards the superior.
Scapular depression
The active lowering the shoulder blades towards the inferior.
