3 FA Joint Movement and Terminology

• Flexion

  Results in joint angle decreasing
• Extension

  Results in joint angle increasing
• 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
• Females are more flexible than males - due to the presences of hormones that promote softening and stretching of ligaments (essential during pregnancy to handle the change in weight distribution)
• Elevation


  Moving a part of the body upwards
• Depression


  Moving a part of the body downwards