Types of Movement

Major Synovial Movements:

• Gliding

• Angular movements

• Rotation

• Special movements (occur only at certain joints)

Gliding

A movement in which flat bone surfaces slide past one another either back- and- forth or side- to- side

Angular Movement

An increase or decrease in the angle between articulating bones (e.g., flexion, extension, lateral flexion, abduction, adduction, and circumduction)

Flexion

A movement that decreases the angle between two bones at a sagittal plane at a ball-and-socket joint

Extension

A movement that increases the angle between two bones at a sagittal plane at a ball-and-socket joint

Lateral Flexion

Bending the trunk to the side at a coronal plane

Hyperextension

Extension beyond the anatomical position.

Abduction

Movement away from the body's midline.

Adduction

Movement toward the body's midline.

Circumduction

A circular movement combining flexion, abduction, extension, and adduction

Rotation

Movement in which a bone revolves around its longitudinal axis.

Medial (Internal) Rotation

Rotation that turns the anterior surface toward the midline.

Lateral (External) Rotation

Rotation that turns the anterior surface away from the midline.

Special Movements

The non-angular, non-rotational motions unique to specific body parts, including elevation, depression, protraction, retraction, inversion, eversion, dorsiflexion, plantar flexion, supination, pronation, and opposition

Elevation

Movement of a body part superiorly.

Depression

Movement of a body part inferiorly.

Protraction

Anterior movement of a body part in a transverse plane

Retraction

Movement that returns a protracted body part to anatomical position in a transverse plane

Inversion

Movement that turns the sole of the foot medially.

Eversion

Movement that turns the sole of the foot laterally.

Dorsiflexion

Movement that raises the foot toward the shin.

Plantar Flexion

Movement that points the foot downward.

Supination

Movement that turns the palm anteriorly or upward.

Pronation

Movement that turns the palm posteriorly or downward.

Opposition

Movement of the thumb across the palm to touch the fingertips.