Joints and Movements

• Joints

  Connections between bones that allow movement
• Key joints


  • Shoulder
  • Elbow
  • Wrist
  • Hip
  • Knee
  • Ankle
• Shoulder joint


  • Ball and socket joint
  • Articulating bones: humerus and scapula
• Shoulder joint movements


  1. Flexion

  2. Extension

  3. Abduction

  4. Adduction

  5. Lateral rotation

  6. Medial rotation

  7. Horizontal flexion

  8. Horizontal extension

  9. Circumduction
• Elbow joint


  • Hinge joint
  • Articulating bones: humerus, radius, ulna
• Elbow joint movements


  1. Flexion

  2. Extension

  3. Pronation

  4. Supination
• Wrist joint


  • Condyloid joint
  • Articulating bones: carpal bones, radius, ulna
• Wrist joint movements


  1. Flexion

  2. Extension

  3. Radial deviation

  4. Ulnar deviation
• Hip joint


  • Ball and socket joint
  • Articulating bones: femur and pelvis (ilium, ischium, pubis)
• Hip joint movements


  1. Flexion

  2. Extension

  3. Abduction

  4. Adduction

  5. Lateral rotation

  6. Medial rotation
• The hip joint is more stable than the shoulder joint due to the deeper socket and more bedded ball
• Ilium


  Bone that makes up the socket of the hip joint
• The articulating bones of the hip joint are the femur and the ilium
• The hip joint socket is deeper and the ball is more bedded into it


  The hip joint is more stable than the shoulder joint
• The hip joint has less range of movement


  But the same types of movements as the shoulder joint
• Hip flexion


  The entire leg moving forwards
• Hip extension


  The entire leg moving backwards
• Hip abduction


  The leg moving out to the side
• Hip adduction


  The leg moving back towards the body
• Hip lateral rotation


  The foot rotating outwards
• Hip medial rotation

  The foot rotating inwards
• The knee joint is a hinge joint
• Bones that articulate at the knee joint

  • Femur
  • Tibia
  • Patella
• The fibula does not articulate at the knee joint
• Knee flexion


  Bending the knee
• Knee extension


  Straightening the knee
• Bones that articulate at the ankle joint

  • Fibula
  • Tibia
  • Talus
• Ankle plantar flexion


  Pointing the toes
• Ankle dorsiflexion


  Drawing the toes back towards the shin
• Sagittal plane


  Movements that involve flexion and extension, including plantar and dorsiflexion
• Frontal plane


  Movements that involve abduction and adduction
• Horizontal/Transverse plane


  Movements that involve rotation
• Agonist


  Muscle that contracts to produce the movement, also known as the prime mover
• Antagonist


  Muscle that works in opposition to the agonist, relaxing or lengthening as the agonist contracts
• Fixator


  Muscles that contract to stabilize or fix the joint and/or body in position
• Antagonistic muscle action

  The fact that the agonist and antagonist muscles switch roles depending on the action being performed
• Transverse abdominis


  A key fixator muscle that wraps around the core to provide stability
• Shoulder joint movements


  • Flexion
  • Extension
  • Abduction
  • Adduction
  • Medial rotation
  • Lateral rotation
  • Horizontal adduction
  • Horizontal abduction
• Deltoid muscle


  • Has anterior, posterior, and middle parts that are responsible for different shoulder movements
• Elbow joint


  Can only flex or extend