Anatomical Language + movement

• Superior means above or toward the head
• Inferior means below, towards the feet
• Anterior means front or in front of
• Posterior means back or to the back of
• Medial means towards the midline
• Lateral means towards the side of the body or away from the midline
• Proximal means close to the root of a limb
• Distal means far from the root of a limb
• Superficial means near the surface of the skin
• Deep means further away from the surface of the skin
• Supine means lying face upwards
• Prone means lying face downwards
• Sagittal Plane has flexion and extension movements
• Sagittal plane splits the body right to left
• Frontal plane has abduction + adduction movements
• Frontal plane splits the body front to back
• Transverse plane has rotational actions
• Transverse plane splits the body top to bottom
• Flexion means decreasing angle at a joint
• Horizontal flexion occurs side to side on a horizontal level
• Hip flexion is moving the femur forwards, reducing the angle between the thigh and the anterior torso
• Shoulder flexion is lowering the arm at the shoulder joint
• Plantar flexion is pointing the toes downwards
• Dorsiflexion is pointing the toes upwards
• Lateral flexion is flexing to the side away from the midline
• Extension is increasing angle of a joint
• Hyperextension is a joint going past 180 degrees
• Horizontal extension occurs side to side on a horizontal plane
• Hip extension is moving the femur backwards, increasing the angle between the thigh and the anterior torso
• Shoulder extension is raising the arm at the shoulder joint
• Abduction is movement away from the midline
• Adduction is movement towards the midline
• Rotation is a circular movement around an axis
• Circumduction is a circular movement of a limb
• Pronation is turning the palms face down
• Supination is turning the palms face up
• Elevation is movement of a joint upwards
• Depression is movement of a joint downwards
• Protraction is moving a joint outwards
• Retraction is moving a joint inwards