Planes of motion, axes of rotation, and directional terms Flashcards
Sagittal
right and left halves
Frontal
front and back halves
Transverse
top and bottom halves
Diagonal or Oblique
a combination of more than one plane of motion. Ex: throwing a baseball, hitting a golf ball, etc.
Sagittal plane (axis of rotation)
frontal rotation (coronal, lateral, mediolateral) ex: hand to shoulder (flexion and extension)
Frontal plane (axis of rotation)
sagittal rotation (anteroposterior or AP) ex: raising arm at the side like jumping jacks (adduction and abduction)
Transverse plane (axis of rotation)
vertical rotation (longitudinal or long) ex: turning your head (internal and external rotation)
Abduction
lateral movement away from the midline of the trunk in the frontal plane. ex: raising the arms or thighs to the side away from the AP
Adduction
movement medially toward and/or across the midline of the trunk in the frontal plane. ex: lowering the arm to the side
Flexion
bending movement that results in a decrease of the angle in a joint by bringing bones together, usually in the sagittal plane. ex: the elbow joint when the hand is drawn to the shoulder
Extension
straightening movement that results in an increase of the angle in a joint by moving bones apart. ex: when the hand moves away from the shoulder (elbow)
External rotation
rotary movement around the longitudinal axis of a bone away from the midline of the body. ex: supination
Internal rotation
rotary movement around the longitudinal axis of a bone towards the midline of the body. ex: pronation
Anterior
in front of
Posterior
behind
