Kinesiology Definitions & Examples

    Basic Terminology:

Anterior/Ventral - front or forward

Posterior/Dorsal - back or behind

Superior - upper

Inferior - lower

Medial - close to midline

Lateral - far from midline

Proximal - above

Distal - below

Superficial - closer to surface

Deep - farther from surface

    Examples:

• The pinky is medial to the thumb

• The thumb is lateral to the pinky

• The shoulder is proximal to the elbow

• The wrist is distal to the elbow

• The muscle is superficial to the stomach

• The heart is deep to the ribs

• The nose is anterior to the ears

• The eyes are posterior to the mouth

    Movement:

Flexion - decrease angle between two body parts (bicep curl)

Extension - increase the angle between two body parts (stretching arm hamstrings)

Abduction - move away from midline (lateral raise with hand weights)

Adduction - move closer to midline (bringing hand weights back down from lateral raise)

Supination - rotating arm so palm faces up, or a deeper arch in the foot (think of a bowl for “soup”)

Pronation - rotating arm so palm faces down, or a flatter arch in the foot (think of a plate for a “pretzel”)

Plantar Flexion - shortening the angle between the sole and calf (tip toe)

Dorsiflexion - widening the angle between the sole and tiba (touching toes while sitting)

Inversion - turning the sole towards the midline (twisting your ankle)

Eversion - turning the sole away from midline

Circumduction - circular motion with arm, leg, finger, wrist, ankle, neck

Elevation - bringing body part up (shrugging)

Depression - bringing body part down (relaxing shoulders)

Protraction - pushing something forward (pushing a box away)

Retraction - pulling something back (pulling a box toward)

    Anatomy:

Axial - located on the axis or central core - trunk/base (body of tree)

Appendicular - “branch” off of the axial (branches on the tree)

Tendon - muscle to bone (achilles tendon)

Ligament - bone to bone (ACL - connect femur to tibia)

    Joint:

Synarthroses - immoveable joints (Synar = snare)

Amphiarthroses - slightly moveable (Amphi = both)

Diarthroses - freely moveable

Fibrous Joint - bound by fibrous connective tissue, allow no movement (sutures of the skull)

Cartilaginous Joint - connected by cartilage, allow slight movement (intervertebral discs - spine)

    Synovial Joint - separated by a fluid-filled joint cavity, move freely

Types of Synovial Joint

Ball and socket - multi-axial movement, different movements combined (shoulder)

Hinge - movement in only one plane, flexion and extension (elbow, knee)

Pivot - rotation around a single central axis (neck)

Gliding - flat bone surfaces slide or “glide” past (tarsal bones in the foot, carpal bones in the hand)

Saddle - both bones have concave and convex regions that fit together, multi-directional movement (thumb)

Ellipsoid/Condyloid - oval-shape condyle fits into an elliptical cavity, movement in two planes, no axial rotation (wrist, knuckles - think head is an egg, end is a devil-egg dish, head fits in dish)