Lecture 1 - Anatomical Position

Question 1

What is anatomical position?

Answer 1

• The universal standard posture of reference
• Reference point for anatomical landmarks
• All movement begins from this position

Question 2

What are anatomical planes?

Answer 2

• Used to provide orientation when you are observing the body as a whole or the parts
• pictured as sheets of glass that pass through and divide the body into sections/halves
• movement through a plane must move with it
  - It cannot break the plane

Question 3

What are the 4 types of anatomical planes?

Answer 3

• midsagittal (median) plane
• Sagittal plane
• frontal (coronal) plane
• transverse (horizontal) plane

Question 4

What is the midsagittal (median) plane?

Answer 4

• a vertical plane that passes longitudinally through the body
• splits the body into 2 equal halves
• activities within the plane include bicep curls

Question 5

What is the Sagittal plane?

Answer 5

• a vertical plane that passes through the body parallel to the median plane

Question 6

What is the frontal (coronal) plane?

Answer 6

• a vertical plane that passes through the body perpendicular to the median plane
• divides the body into a front & back half
• activities include jumping jacks, waving

Question 7

What is the transverse (horizontal) plane?

Answer 7

• horizontal planes passing through the body perpendicular to the median & frontal planes
• divides the body into a top & bottom half
• activities include spinning, shaking your head no, baseball swing

Question 8

What are axes of movement?

Answer 8

• the pivot point around which the limb will move/rotate
• it is always perpendicular to its plane

Question 9

What is the axis of movement for the Sagittal plane?

Answer 9

• frontal axis

Question 10

What is the axis of movement for the frontal plane?

Answer 10

• sagittal axis

Question 11

What is the axis of movement for the transverse plane?

Answer 11

• longitudinal axis

Question 12

What is superior-inferior?

Answer 12

• means towards the head or foot
• also referred to as cranial-caudal
• Superior = above, Inferior = below
  • I.e., the head is superior (above) to the hips
  • I.e., the hips are inferior (below) to the head

Question 13

What is anterior-posterior?

Answer 13

• means towards the front or back
• also referred to as ventral-dorsal
• Anterior = in front, posterior = behind

Question 14

What is dorsum?

Answer 14

• the superior (top) aspect of any part that protrudes anteriorly (forward) from the body OR a posterior surface
• i.e., top of the foot

Question 15

What is medial-lateral?

Answer 15

• median = towards the midline (middle), lateral = towards the outside
• I.e, the sternum is medial to the shoulder
• I.e, the shoulder is lateral to the sternum

Question 16

What is proximal-distal?

Answer 16

• proximal = close to the attachment point to the axial skeleton
• distal = further away to the attachment point to the axial skeleton
• I.e, the elbow is proximal to the wrist
• I.e, the wrist is distal to the shoulder

Question 17

What is superficial-deep?

Answer 17

• superficial = close to the surface
• deep = away from the surface
• i.e., my lungs are deep to the thorax
• i.e., my skin is superficial to my muscles

Question 18

What is plantar?

Answer 18

• the sole of your foot only
• plantar aspect

Question 19

What is palmer?

Answer 19

• also referred to as volar
• the palm of the hand only

Question 20

What is inferomedial?

Answer 20

• nearer to the feet and median aspect

Question 21

What is superolateral?

Answer 21

• nearer the head and farther from the median aspect

Question 22

What is unilateral?

Answer 22

• means one limb on one side of the body

Question 23

What is bilateral?

Answer 23

• means both sides of the body

Question 24

What is ipsilateral?

Answer 24

• means two limbs on the same side of the body

Question 25

What is Contralateral?

Answer 25

• means two limbs on the opposite side of the body

Question 26

What is flexion-extension?

Answer 26

• Any movement towards the fetal position
• Flexion decreases the angle between two bones
• extension increases the angle between two bones
• HYPEREXTENSION is beyond the end position or beyond full extension

Question 27

What is dorsiflexion-plantarflexion?

Answer 27

• movement only occurs at the talocrural (ankle) joint
• dorsiflexion = toes flexed up
• plantarflexion = toes flexed down

Question 28

What is abduction-adduction?

Answer 28

• Abd- movement away from the body
• Add- movement towards the body (‘add’ it back)
• Wrist = also called radial & ulnar deviation
• Side flexion = special kind of abduction for the neck and trunk, segmental

Question 29

What is circumduction?

Answer 29

• circular movement
• combination of flx/abd/ext/add

Question 30

What is medial (internal)-lateral (external) rotation?

Answer 30

• only happens at multi axial joints (shoulder/hip)
• can also be without a direction (i.e., neck rotation)

Question 31

What is pronation-supination?

Answer 31

• Superior radio-ulnar joint (forearm just distal to elbow)
• Supination- palm superior (hold a bowl of soup)
• Rotational movement like a pivot
• Also used to describe movement in the feet during weight bearing or the positioning of the feet

Question 32

What is eversion-inversion?

Answer 32

• happens at the sub-talar joint of the foot
• eversion = outwards to the midline
• inversion = inwards to the midline

Question 33

What is cross-flexion/cross-extension?

Answer 33

• Also called horizontal flexion/extension or horizontal adduction/abduction
• it is a Compound movement
• the shoulder must be flexed to 90° to start movement