Sports Med- Terminology

Anatomical Position

standing posture with the arms at the side and the palms of the hands facing forward

Anterior (Ventral)

the front of the body

Posterior (Dorsal)

toward the back of the body

Superior

one point, or structure, being higher than another

Inferior

one point, or structure, being lower than another

Medial

toward the midline of the body

Lateral

a point of reference away from the midline of the body

Oblique

being on an incline or slanted

Proximal

toward the attachment of the limb to the trunk

Distal

away from the attachment of the limb

Superficial

close to the skin

Deep

further from the skin

Prone

lying face down

Supine

lying face up

Vertical

standing up; up right

Horizontal

laying down; parallel to the horizon

Flexion

decreasing an angle of a joint

Extension

movement that increases the angle between 2 bones

Hyperextension

extension of a joint beyond the natural range of motion

Plantarflexion

movement that extends the ankle and points the toes

Dorsiflexion

flexing the toes and foot towards the body.

Abduction

movement of the body part away from the midline of the body

Adduction

movement of the body part towards the midline of the body

Ulnar Deviation

wrist movement toward the ulna

Radial Deviation

wrist movement toward the radius

Inversion

movement that turns the sole of the foot inward, toward the midline of the body.

Eversion

movement that moves the sole of the foot outward, away from the midline of the body.

Elevation

movement of a body part upward

Depression

movement of a body part downward

Lateral Flexion

side bending of the trunk

Internal Rotation

rotation of a limb toward the midline

External Rotation

rotation of a limb away from the midline

Horizontal Abduction

movement of the shoulder away from the midline with the humerus in 90 degrees of flexion.

Horizontal Adduction

movement of the shoulder toward the midline with the humerus in 90 degrees of flexion.

Supination

Ankle: movement that involves turning the sole of the foot upward.
Forearm: movement that involves turning the palm of the hand upward.

Pronation

Ankle: Eversion and Abduction
Forearm: Palm of the hand faces backward in anatomical position or downward when the arm is flexed to a right angle of the body.

Protraction

movement of a body part forward in a transverse plane

Retraction

occurs when scapulas are pulled together

Circumduction

movement of a limb in a circular pattern. This occurs when a ball and socket joint (shoulder/hip) or gliding joint (wrist) encompasses several directions with one motion.

Opposition

movement of the thumb to touch each finger

Abrasion

superficial injury to the skin or body tissue caused by a rubbing or scraping

Acute

injury with a sudden onset and short duration

Amputation

to cut off a projecting body part

Atrophy

weakness and wasting away of tissue or of an organ, decrease in the size of a body part.

Avulsion

forcible tearing away of a part of a structure.

Blister

local swelling of the skin that contains a watery fluid and is caused by burning, irritation, or friction injury.

Chronic

injury with a long onset and long duration

Contusion

a result of severe impact to a muscle

Dislocation

an injury that disrupts the alignment of bones at a joint

Ecchymosis

bruising caused by hemorrhage

Edema

tissue swelling caused by increased levels of intracellular fluid

Fracture

a break in a bone

Hematoma

formation caused by pooling of blood and fluid within a tissue space

Hemorrhage

escape of blood from vessels, bleeding

Hypertrophy

increase in the size of the muscle

Inflammation

localized protective process that occurs when tissues are subjected to chemical or physical trauma; pain heat, redness and swelling occur

Laceration

jagged irregular open wound created by a non cutting object

Paralysis

complete loss of muscle function

Paresthesia

sensation of tingling, pricking, creeping, or numbness of a person's skin

Puncture

occurs when a pointed object enters the body

Spasm

sudden violent, involuntary contraction of the muscle or hollow organ

Sprain

traction, tearing or overstretching injury to a ligament

Strain

twisting or pulling injury that occurs to a muscle or tendon through overuse, overstretch, or overexertion

Subluxation

incomplete or partial dislocation of a joint

Frontal/Coronal Plane

plane that separates the body into front and back halves

Transverse/Horizontal Plane

plane that divides the body into top and bottom halves

Sagittal/Medial Plane

plane that divides the body into left and right halves