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Anatomical position

Standard position used to describe the body (front facing, standing straight, arms at side, hands facing forward, feet forward, supinated forearms)

Anterior / Posterior

Forward and behind, with eyes anterior to the brain

Superior / Inferior

Higher up on the body, with the head being superior to the neck

Medial / Lateral

Towards the middle or outside, with nipples being lateral to the belly button

Proximal / Distal

Describes attachments to the body, with proximal being closer to the point of attachment (e.g., elbow is always proximal to the finger)

Deep / Superficial

Describes the depth of a body part, with superficial being closer to the outside of the body and deep being closer to the core

Frontal plane (coronal)

Divides the body into front and back, discussing movement along a vertical plane

Transverse plane (horizontal)

Divides the body into upper and lower segments, allowing for left and right movement and rotation on a longitudinal axis

Sagittal plane (median)

Divides the body into left and right, allowing for forward and back movement (e.g., situps, bicep curls)

Horizontal axis

Extends from one side of the body to the other

Longitudinal axis (polar axis)

Vertical axis running from head to toe, used for movements like a volleyball spike

Antero-posterior axis

Extends from the front to the back of the body, going through the belly button and allowing movement in the frontal plane along the sides

Flexion

Bending at a joint where the angle decreases (e.g., flexion at the shoulder is raising the arm up)

Extension

Opposite of flexion, usually front and back movement

Abduction

Moving away from the midline of the body, side to side in the frontal plane

Adduction

Moving towards the midline of the body, opposite of abduction (e.g., bringing arms towards the body)

Plantar Flexion

Ankle flexion where the toes are pointed (e.g., tip toes)

Dorsiflexion

Bending the ankle back towards the skin

Supination

Rotating the wrist so that the palm is facing forward

Pronation

Wrist facing away from the body

Inversion

Inverting the foot, standing on the outer edge

Eversion

Pointing the foot outwards, result of standing on the inner edge of the feet

External rotation

Rotating a body part outwards from the midline (e.g., turning toes outward)

Internal rotation

Twisting or turning a body part inwards towards the midline

Elevation

Movement in an upwards motion (e.g., hunching shoulders)

Depression

Movement in a downwards motion (e.g., slouching shoulders)

Circumduction

Combination of flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction (e.g., softball pitcher throwing a ball with a "windmill" action)

Protraction

Movement of a body part in the anterior direction (forwards), commonly seen in shoulders

Retraction

Movement in the posterior direction

Protrusion/Retrusion

Forward and backward movement of the mandible (jaw), seen in underbite and overbite movements

Opposition

Grasping of the thumb and fingers.