Musculoskeletal System - Sports Science

• Midline/Medial line/Centre line: a vertical line going directly through the body
• Superior: means when something is higher up the body than something else (e.g. eyes are superior to the nose)
• Anterior: the front of the body
• Posterior: the back of the body
• Inferior: when something is lower on the body than something else (e.g. eyes are inferior to the forehead)
• Anatomical Position: a position where the head, palms, and toes are all facing forwards
• Flexion: when the angle of a joint is decreased (e.g. elbow flexion, knee flexion)
• Extension: when the angle of a joint is increased (e.g. elbow extension, leg extension)
• Plantar flexion: when the toes are pointing downwards
• Dorsi flexion: when the toes are pointing upwards
• Proximal: body part close to the site of attachment (e.g. bicep is proximal to the shoulder)
• Distal: body part far from the site of attachment (e.g. wrist is distal to the shoulder)
• Elevation: moving a body part in a superior direction
• Depression: moving a body part in an inferior direction
• Eversion: rotating the sole of the foot so that it points away from the other
• Inversion: rotating the sole of the foot so that it points towards the other
• Abduction: moving a limb away from the medial line
• Adduction: moving a limb towards the midline
• Lateral rotation: rotating a limb away from the midline
• Medial rotation: rotating a limb towards from the midline
• Supination: rotating the forearms so the palms are facing upwards
• Pronation: rotating the forearms so the palms are facing downwards
• Retraction: posterior movement of the arm and shoulder
• Protraction: anterior movement of the arm and shoulder
• Lateral flexion: bending the spine away from the midline
• Voluntary muscles: movement of the muscle is under control of the person
• Involuntary muscles: movement of the muscle is not controlled by the person
• Skeletal Muscle: fibres are long and cylindrical, voluntary, fast and slow twitch fibres
• Cardiac Muscle: only found in the heart, contractions of heart muscles pump blood throughout the body and account for heartbeat
• Smooth Muscle: fibres are thin and spindle-shaped, no striations (stripes), found in circulatory, digestive, urinary, and respiratory systems
• Major functions of muscles: movement, maintenance of posture and muscle tone, heat production
• Minor functions of muscles: protect bones and internal organs
• Bones: a baby has 305 bones while an adult has 206, longest bone is the femur, smallest bone is the stirrup bone
• Axial skeleton: includes the skull, hyoid bone, vertebral column, sternum, and ribs
• Appendicular skeleton: comprised of bones in the arms, legs, shoulder, and pelvis
• Functions of the Skeleton: supporting tissues, protecting vital organs, assisting in movement, production site for red blood cells, storing minerals
• Types of Bones: long bones, short bones, flat bones, irregular bones, sesamoid bones
• Joints: where two or more bones meet, held together by ligaments, determine how moveable the bones are
• Types of Joints: fibrous (immovable), cartilaginous (partially moveable), synovial (freely moveable)
• Six types of synovial joints: hinge joint, saddle joint, ball in socket, gliding joint, pivot joint, ovoid joint (ellipsoid)