1 FA Anatomical Position

• Anatomical position

  The standard reference position used from which all other movements occur. It is assumed to be standing, feet flat and directed forwards, arms by side, and the head and eyes and palms of the hands facing forwards.
• Planes of the body

  • Sagittal plane - divides the body into left and right sections (medial/lateral reference)
  • Coronal plane - divides the body into front and back sections (posterior/anterior reference)
  • Transverse plane - divides the body into top and bottom sections (superior/inferior reference)
• Anterior

  In front of the reference point of the structure
• Posterior

  Behind the reference point of the structure
• Superior


  Above the reference point of the structure
• Inferior

  Below the reference point of the structure
• Medial


  Towards the midline of the structure
• Lateral

  Away from the midline of the structure
• Proximal

  Nearer to the centre of the body or the point of attachment e.g. proximal end of humerus
• Distal

  Away from the centre of the body or from the point of attachment e.g. distal end of humerus
• Superficial

  Towards the surface of a structure
• Deep

  Further away from the surface of a structure
• Skeletal muscle

  • Attached to bones (skeleton) by tendons, links 2 bones across a connecting joint, responsible for moving the skeleton via the contraction or shortening of muscles, striated in appearance, consists of fast twitch (white) and slow twitch (red) fibres
• How muscles and bones interact

  Skeletal muscles are joined to bone by tendons, the tendon attached to the stationary bone is called the ORIGIN (usually at the proximal end), the tendon attached to the movable bone is called the INSERTION (usually at the distal end), most skeletal muscles work in pairs - when one muscle contracts, the other relaxes (reciprocal inhibition)
• How we produce movement

  Muscles can only contract & pull, joints have to have two or more muscles working opposite each other, the first muscle is the agonist/prime mover and contracts, the second muscle is the antagonist and relaxes, this is known as reciprocal inhibition, skeletal muscles are consciously controlled (voluntary), the CNS sends a message from the brain to the relevant muscle to contract, resulting in "pulling the bone" causing movement to occur
• Structure of skeletal muscle

  • Highly organised structure of thick (Myosin) & thin (Actin) protein filaments, muscle fibre made up of hundreds of myofibrils, each myofibril made up of sarcomeres, muscle fibres bundled together in fascicles surrounded by perimysium, entire muscle surrounded by epimysium, each individual muscle fibre surrounded by endomysium, tendon joins the muscle to the bone
• Flexion and Extension


  1. Occur at hinge joints like the knee, elbow, and digits

  2. Occur at ball-and-socket joints like the shoulder and hip

  3. Occur at gliding joints in the spine
• Lateral flexion


  • Movement in right-left direction vs. forward-backward in the joints of the spine
• Circumduction


  1. Stand up and attempt circumduction of your shoulder and then hip

  2. The hand (distal end) is moving in a circular action around the pivot point of the shoulder (proximal end)
• Protraction


  Moving a part of the body forward
• Retraction


  Moving a part of the body backward
• Prone position


  Person is lying stomach and face down
• Supine position


  Person is lying stomach and face up
• Pronation


  Rotation of the forearm ending with the palm facing backward or down
• Supination


  Rotation of the forearm ending with the palm facing forward or up
• Plantarflexion


  The angle between the sole of the foot and the calf decreases
• Dorsiflexion


  The angle between the top of the foot (dorsum) and the shin decreases
• Inversion


  The bottom of the foot (sole) turns so that it faces toward the body's midline, in a medial orientation
• Eversion


  The bottom of the foot turns so that it faces away from the body's midline (laterally)
• Inversion and eversion, like abduction and adduction, make reference to the midline of the body
• Inversion


  Turning the sole of the foot inward (towards the midline)
• Eversion


  Turning the sole of the foot outward (away from the midline)
• Abduction


  Limbs (arms, legs or fingers) are moved away from your body's midline
• Adduction


  Limbs are moved closer to the midline
• Pressing the shoulder(s) down is scapula depression
• Flexibility


  • Depends on the bone structure of the joint
  • Depends on the muscle bulk around the joint
  • Depends on the elasticity of ligaments and tendons around and within the joint
• Inadequate flexibility


  Can hinder sports performance
• Exercise


  Can improve flexibility - must be joint specific
• Tendon


  Joins the muscle to the bone
• Emimysium


  Connective tissue sheath surrounding each muscle