(2) Body Movement Terms Anatomy | Body Planes of Motion | Synovial Joint Movement Terminology

Overview of movements at synovial joints

Importance for healthcare professions in documentation and assessment

Four major categories:

• Gliding Movements:

  • Surfaces of bones slide linearly, no significant rotary/angular movement.

  • Example: Waving hand left to right.

  • Locations: Carpals, Tarsals, Plane joints.

  • Specific joints include Sacroiliac, Acromioclavicular, Femoral patellar, etc.

• Angular Movements:

  • Flexion/Extension: Decrease/Increase angle between structures (e.g., elbow and shoulder movements).

  • Hyperextension: Movements beyond normal limits, mainly in the sagittal plane.

  • Abduction/Adduction: Movement away/toward midline (e.g., arm and finger movements).

  • Circumduction: Circular movement combining flexion, abduction, extension, adduction (e.g., arm circumduction).

• Rotational Movements:

  • Movement around a central axis (e.g., head, shoulder, and hip rotations).

• Special Movements:

  • Supination/Pronation: Lateral/medial rotation of the radius (e.g., thumbs position).

  • Dorsiflexion/Plantar Flexion: Foot movement relative to the shin.

  • Inversion/Eversion: Sole movement inward/outward.

  • Elevation/Depression: Movement in superior/inferior directions (e.g., shoulder movements).

  • Protraction/Retraction: Movement of scapula forward/backward.

  • Protrusion/Retrusion/Excursion: Forward/backward movement of mouth/tongue, side-to-side movement of the mandible.

  • Opposition/Reposition: Thumb touching fingers and returning to the original position.