Lecture 4: The Terminology of Movement Patterns

Question 1

Joint Types and Their Motions

Answer 1

The structure of a joint is interrelated with its specific functions. There are six main types of joints, based on the shapes of articulating bones and—as a result of that anatomy—the range of motion they allow: plane or planar joints … pivot or rotational joints … hinge joints … condyloid or ellipsoidal joints … saddle joints … ball-and-socket joints.

Question 2

plane or planar joint

Answer 2

a diarthrotic synovial joint in which articulations in which a pair of relatively flat bone surfaces simply slide against each other … the articulating surfaces never leave each other (they just slide back and forth) and so these joints don’t allow as much movement as many other joint types … an example is the tarsal bones in the ankle and foot

Question 3

pivot or rotational joint

Answer 3

a monoaxial joint in which one surface rotates inside a circular or semicircular surface made by the other bone but the surfaces don’t leave each other much … an example is between the first two vertebrae of the neck (which allows the head to rotate left and right)

Question 4

monoaxial joint

Answer 4

movement of the joint is in a single plane

Question 5

hinge joint

Answer 5

a monoaxial joint that has articulating bones which physically resemble a door or cabinet hinge … an example is the knees

Question 6

condyloid or ellipsoidal joint

Answer 6

a biaxial joint that allows a joystick-like movement between a concave oval surface and a matching convex oval surface … the corresponding oval ends of the bones nest in each other like spoons in a drawer … an example is between the radius of the forearm
and a couple of the carpal bones of the wrist

Question 7

biaxial joint

Answer 7

movement of the joint occurs in two
planes

Question 8

saddle joint

Answer 8

a biaxial joint in which one bone resembles a saddle and the other a rider in that saddle … are relatively rare articulations … an example is where the metacarpal bone in the thumb side of the palm joins the lateral-most carpal of the wrist, called the trapezium (creating an opposable thumb)

Question 9

ball-and-socket joint

Answer 9

a multiaxial joint which allows a complexity of movement and the greatest range of motion … the only four in the body are at the shoulder and hip joints

Question 10

multiaxial joint

Answer 10

a joint which allows movement in all three dimensions

Question 11

flexion

Answer 11

movement which bends the body away from SAP, and, with regard to the joints within limbs, always decreases the angle between the articulating bones

Question 12

extension

Answer 12

movement which returns the body to SAP, and, with regard to the joints within limbs, always increases the angle between the articulating bones

Question 13

direction of knees, elbows, shoulders and hips during flexion

Answer 13

during flexion:
… the direction of the movement is posterior at the knee while the direction of movement is anterior at the elbow (flexion always decreases the angle of the two bones at the joint within a limb)
… the direction is forward at the shoulder and hip
… the direction is forward at the spine, whether only at the neck or in the whole spine, front to back or side to side (which is specifically called lateral flexion of the spine)

Question 14

hyperextension

Answer 14

Sometimes used to describe a movement beyond SAP

Question 15

abduction

Answer 15

an angular movement which takes a body part away from the midline (some body parts – like the hand – can have their own midline) … paired with adduction … possible at ball-and-socket joints and at condyloid joints

Question 16

adduction

Answer 16

an angular movement which brings a body part back toward the midline of the body (some body parts – like the hand – can have their own midline) … paired with abduction … possible at ball-and-socket joints and at condyloid joints

Question 17

circumduction

Answer 17

an arc-like movement, which only happens at ball-and-socket joints, simply combines a series of angular motions … the circuit starts with flexion, then gradually abducts away from the body, then into extension, and finally adduct back toward the body to return to SAP

Question 18

rotational movement

Answer 18

movement that happens at a pivot joint … happens between the first and second vertebrae of the spine the joint looks and functions like a trailer hitch with the second cervical vertebra having a projection that sticks up and the first cervical vertebra having a skull on top of it that rotates around that projection, giving a much greater range of side-to-side motion of the head than at other places in the spine… also happens at the elbow, specifically at the part of the elbow joint between the radius and the humerus

Question 19

supination

Answer 19

the term used for the rotational movement between the humerus and the radius when the palm is facing forward (and is in SAP)

Question 20

pronation

Answer 20

the term used for the rotational movement between the humerus and the radius when the palm is turned backward, or posteriorly

Question 21

inward, internal, or medial rotation

Answer 21

the act of pointing the toes toward the midline … since this type of movement must be done by ball-and-socket joints, it occurs at the hips (rather than the knees)

Question 22

lateral, outward, or external rotation

Answer 22

the act of pointing the toes out toward the sides … since this type of movement must be done by ball-and-socket joints, it occurs at the hips (rather than the knees)

Question 23

inversion

Answer 23

refers to directing the sole of the foot toward the midline … a series of gliding joints within the foot allows this action (rather than being done by the ankle joint)

Question 24

eversion

Answer 24

refers to directing the sole of the foot outward, away from the body … a series of gliding joints within the foot allows this action (rather than being done by the ankle joint)

Question 25

dorsiflexion

Answer 25

a movement in which the toes are pointed toward the ceiling (like walking on your heels or pulling away from a gas pedal) … happens at the true ankle joint, which is a hinge joint … opposite of plantar flexion

Question 26

plantar flexion

Answer 26

a movement in which the toes are pointed toward the floor (like standing on your tiptoes or pushing toward a gas pedal) … happens at the true ankle joint, which is a hinge joint … opposite of dorsiflexion

Question 27

protraction

Answer 27

a movement which protrudes a body part, pushing it anteriorly … an example occurs at the
shoulders with the scapula (shoulder blade) and with clavicle (collarbone) when one pushes shoulders forward (or hunches them) … opposite of retraction

Question 28

retraction

Answer 28

a movement which pulls a body part back to SAP, or pulling it in a posterior direction … an example occurs at the shoulders with the scapula (shoulder blade) and with clavicle (collarbone) when one pulls the shoulders together posteriorly (like when correcting poor posture) … opposite of protraction

Question 29

elevate

Answer 29

a movement in the shoulder girdle which lifts the scapulae (shoulder blades) and the clavicles (shoulder blades) that connect them to raise the shoulders toward the ears (like shrugging) … opposite of depress

Question 30

depress

Answer 30

a movement in the shoulder girdle which lowers the scapulae (shoulder blades) and the clavicles (shoulder blades) that connect them to lower the shoulders away from the ears … opposite of elevate

Question 31

prehensile, or grasping, hand

Answer 31

an ability in primates to oppose the thumb to
their other fingers, possible because of the saddle joint between the thumb and one
of the carpals of the wrist

Question 32

opposition (of the thumb)

Answer 32

a movement which moves the thumb toward the palm or other fingers … opposite of reposition

Question 33

reposition (of the thumb)

Answer 33

a movement which moves the thumb toward the palm or other fingers … opposite of reposition
is the term for that movement of the
thumb, and reposition is the opposite
of opposition.