Anatomical Terms

Anatomical position:

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Standing upright with palms outward/up

Planes of Motion

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• Frontal (or coronal)

  • Separates body into ventral (front) and dorsal (back) sections

• Sagittal (or longitudinal)

  • Separates body into right and left sections

• Horizontal (or transverse/axial)

  • Separates body into superior and inferior sections

Types of Bones

• Long bones

  • Hard, dense

  • Provide strength, structure and mobility

• Short bones

  • Shaped as a rough cube; mostly spongy bone

  • Provide stability and facilitate motion

• Flat bones

  • Spongy bone between two layers of compact bone

  • Protect internal organs or serve as a connection point between muscles

• Irregular bones

  • Vary in shape and structure

  • Protect various parts of the body (eg: vertebrae)

• Sesamoid bones

  • Round bone embedded within a tendon

  • Reinforce and decrease stress on tendon

Terms:

• Medial: closer to the midline

• Lateral: away from the midline

• Proximal: close to the trunk or to the point of attachment

• Distal: away to the trunk or to the point of attachment

• Anterior: in the front

• Posterior: in the back

• Prone: lying face down

• Supine: lying face up (on the back)

Actions

• Flexion: bends joint (decreases angle between bones)

• Extension: straightens joint (increases angle between bones)

• Abduction: moving away from the midline of the body

• Adduction: moving towards the midline of the body

• Pronation: movement of turning hands to face posteriorly

• Supination: movement of turning hands to face anteriorly

• Plantarflexion: pushing down of the foot (top points away from leg)

• Dorsiflexion: pulling back of the foot (toes brought closer to shin)

• Inversion: turning foot so that the bottom is towards the midline

• Eversion: turning foot so that the bottom is away from the midline

• Internal Rotation: rotating a joint toward the midline

• External Rotation: rotating a joint away from the midline

• Ulnar Deviation: joint condition causing the wrist bones to shift, hence making the fingers bend towards the ulna bone

• Radial Deviation: joint condition causing the wrist bones to shift, hence making the fingers bend towards the radial bone