More Terminology....
The following is a list of body movements commonly used by prosthetists and other professionals that deal in body movement.
These terms will help you communicate more effectively with your prosthetist.
Taken from Spence and Mason's Human antomy and Physiology.
See a diagram of the various movements
Angular Movements
Four angular movements may occur in various diarthrodial joints: flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction (F7.8). Angular movements increase or decrease the angle between two adjoining bones by moving in a single plane.
LEXION When a bone is moved in an anterior-posterior plane in such a manner as to decrease the angle between it and its adjoining bone, flexion occurs. Examples include bending the elbow, bringing the thigh towards the abdomen, and bringing the calf of the leg toward the back of the thigh. Pulling the heel upward, thus lowering the toe region of a foot, is referred to as plantar flexion.
EXTENSION Extension is the opposite of flexion. It causes the angle between adjoining bones to increase. Extension occurs when a flexed joint is moved back to the anatomical position, such as straightening the arm, thigh, and knee. Hyperextension occurs when the part is moved beyond the straight position, such as arching the back or bringing the limbs posteriorly beyond the plane of the body. Raising the toe region toward the shin is often considered to be extension of the foot, but is called dorsiflexion.
ABDUCTION When a part, such as a limb, is moved away from the midline of the body, abduction occurs. In the case of the fingers and toes, abduction involves moving them away from the midline of the hand or foot.
ADDUCTION Adduction, the reverse of abduction, involves the movement of a part toward the midline of the body, back toward the anatomical position. In the case of the fingers and toes, the movement is toward the midline of the hand or foot.
Circular Movements
In addition to the four angular movements, four circular movements are allowed by some diarthrodial joints: circumduction, rotation, supination, and F7.8 pronation (F7.8).
CIRCUMDUCTION The joint motion known as circumduction delineates a cone. The base of the cone is outlined by the movement of the distal end of the bone, with the apex of the cone Iying in the articular cavity. The movement is actually a sequential combination of flexion, abduction, extension, and adduction. Circumduction is common at the hip and the shoulder joints, and is possible in other joints also.
ROTATION The motion of a bone around a central axis is rotation. If the anterior surface of a bone such as the humerus or femur moves inward, it is called inward (medial) rotation. When the anterior surface turns outward it is outward (lateral) rotation.
SUPINATION The term used to describe the outward rotation of the forearm, causing the palms to face upward or forward and the radius and the ulna to be parallel, is supination. The forearms are supinated in the anatomical position.
PRONATION The term used to describe the inward rotation of the forearm, causing the radius to cross diagonally over the ulna and the palms to face downward or backward, is pronation.
Special Movements
Several special movements cannot be described as either angular or circular. These movements are elevation, depression, inversion, eversion, protraction, and retraction.
ELEVATION The motion that raises a part is elevation. This term is most commonly used to refer to the raising of the scapula, as when shrugging the shoulders, or raising the mandible, as when closing the mouth.
DEPRESSION The motion that lowers a part is depression. This term is often used to refer to the lowering of the scapula or the mandible.
INVERSION The twisting of the foot so that the sole faces inward with its inner margin raised is inversion.
EVERSION The twisting of the foot so that the sole faces outward with its outer margin raised is eversion.
PROTRACTION The motion that moves a part, such as the mandible, forward is protraction.
RETRACTION The motion that returns a protracted part to its usual position is retraction.
