Download 1. Anatomy Terms and Planes

Anatomy Terminology
WARNING!
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Please start studying Modules 6 and 7 NOW.
Module 6 is about naming the parts of each bone.
Module 7 is about naming the muscles, PLUS their
origins, insertions, actions.
If you wait until you finish the other modules, there
won’t be enough time to learn all that.
Plus, you will be tested on those two modules again
on-site during the first 2 weeks of school. You need
to have all that memorized before you get there.
Body Regions
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Axial Region (down midline of body)
Appendicular Region (limbs)
REGIONS OF THE BODY
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1. Axial Region (Goes down midline of the body)
– a) Head
– b) Neck
– c) Trunk (has 3 parts)
1) Thorax (chest area). Above diaphragm. Contains heart and lungs.
– Pectoral Region (chest)
– Costal ( rib) margin
2) Abdomen (not called the stomach!). Contains the digestive organs
Lumbar region (low back)
Gluteal region (buttocks)
3) Pelvis (area that would be covered by brief underwear) Contains urinary and
reproductive organs
Inguinal region (Groin)
REGIONS OF THE BODY
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2. Appendicular Region (limbs)
a) Upper Limbs
1) Axilla (armpit)
2) Arm (Brachium): shoulder to elbow
Antecubital fossa (inside of elbow, where blood is drawn)
3) Forearm (elbow to wrist). Don’t confuse with arm!
4) Wrist
5) Hand: 4 fingers with 3 phalanges each; thumb with 2 phalanges;
Pollicis: Thumb
Palmar surface: Palm
REGIONS OF THE BODY
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2. Appendicular Region (limbs)
b) Lower Limbs
1) Thigh (hip to knee). Don’t confuse with leg!
2) Leg (knee to ankle).
Calf (back of the leg)
Popliteal region (behind knee)
Genu: the knee itself
3) Ankle
4) Foot: 5 digits
Hallux: big toe
Plantar surface: sole of foot
Body Cavities
Figure 1.8a
Body Cavities
Figure 1.8b
Regional Terms
(not on the quiz or test)
Figure 1.4a
Regional Terms
(not on the quiz or test)
Figure 1.4b
Anatomical Position
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The body standing erect, facing forward, feet
together, toes pointed anteriorly, hands at
one’s side, fingers pointing inferiorly, and
palms facing forward.
Once the body is in this position (or imagined
to be in this position,) the positional terms
can be used correctly.
Anatomical
Position
Anatomical Position
The person is standing up straight
The palms face anteriorly
The knees, elbow, and neck are
straight (not bent)
The toes point anteriorly, but the
fingers point inferiorly
Left and Right: yours or the patient’s?
Figure 1.3
Positional Terms
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These are terms used to describe the position of
certain structures on the body.
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Note: These are “relative terms.” This means that
these words are usually used in relating the position of
one body structure to another. You can’t say, “He is
shorter”. You have to say, “He is shorter than John”.
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Incorrect: the nose is medial
Correct: the nose is medial to the ears
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Positional Terms
Anterior (Ventral)
Posterior (Dorsal)
Superior
Inferior
Medial
Lateral
Superficial
Deep
Proximal
Distal
Supine
Prone
Positional Terms
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Anterior/Ventral: towards the front of the body (includes palms
and soles)
Posterior/Dorsal: towards the back of the body
Superior: towards the head
Inferior: towards the feet
Medial (NOT MIDDLE): towards the midline of body
Lateral: away from midline
Varus: inward angulation of the distal segment of a bone or
joint.
Valgus: outward angulation of the distal segment of a bone or
joint.
Positional Terms
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Superficial: Toward the external environment
Deep: Towards the inner body
Proximal: towards the heart
Distal: away from the heart
Supine: Laying on one’s back
Prone: Laying on one’s stomach
Positional Terms
Positional Terms
(Skip)
Positional Terms
Body Planes
• Frontal (Coronal)
• Sagittal
• Transverse
ParaSagittal
plane
Sagittal
plane
Body Planes and Sections
• Frontal (coronal) plane
– Lies vertically and divides body or organ into anterior and
posterior parts
• Sagittal plane
– Divides right from left side of body or organ
• Midsagittal (median) plane
– Specific sagittal plane that lies vertically in the midline
and divides body into EQUAL right and left sides
• Parasagittal plane
– Specific sagittal plane that lies vertically in the midline
and divides body into UNEQUAL right and left sides
• Transverse plane
• Divides body or organ into superior-inferior parts
Body Planes and Sections
Figure 1.5
Banana Sectioned into Planes
Transverse plane
Sagittal plane
Frontal (coronal) plane
Varus - Valgus
Genu = Knee
Genu Valgum
Genu Varus
• Coxa = hip
Varus - Valgus
Hallux Abducto-Valgus
Movement Terms
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Flexion: to decrease the angle of a joint
Extension: to increase the angle of a joint, returning it to
anatomical position
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Hyperextension: extension beyond anatomical position
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In the foot, there are special terms used instead of
flexion/extension:
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Dorsiflexion: flexion of the ankle joint; to raise the toes up in
the air. When you stand on your heels with your toes up in the
air, you are dorsiflexing your ankle joints.
Plantarflexion: extension of the ankle joint; to point the toes
downward. When you stand on your toes, you are
plantarflexing your ankle joints.
Flexion and Extension
Flexion: to decrease
the angle of a joint
Extension: to
increase the angle of a
joint, returning it to
anatomical position
Hyperextension:
extension beyond
anatomical position
Flexion and Extension
Flexion: to decrease
the angle of a joint
Extension: to
increase the angle of a
joint, returning it to
anatomical position
Hyperextension:
extension beyond
anatomical position
Flexion, Extension, Hyperextension
Hyperextension
Extension
Movement Terms
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Internal Rotation (or medial rotation): to rotate in the
transverse plane toward the midline of the body
External Rotation (or Lateral Rotation): to rotate in the
transverse plane away from the midline of the body.
These two terms are usually used to describe motions
of the shoulder or hips.
Internal Rotation
External Rotation
Movement Terms
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Abduction: to move a body part away from the midline of the body
Adduction: to move a body part toward the midline of the body
Circumduction: to move a body part in a circle
Rotation: to pivot a body part around an axis, as in shaking the head “no”
Abduction, Adduction, Circumduction
Movement Terms
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Inversion: to rotate the palms or soles in the frontal
plane toward the midline of the body.
Eversion: to rotate the palms or soles in the frontal
plane away from the midline of the body.
You invert and evert your hands, but the bones of the
ankle don’t move in a single plane. Rather, they move
in three planes, so that motion is more properly called
supination and pronation.
Movements of the
Hand or Foot Only
Supination and Pronation are movements in three planes.
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Supination (tri-plane movement)
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Inversion
Adduction
Dorsiflexion (or Flexion in hands)
Pronation (tri-plane movement)
–
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Eversion
Abduction
Plantarflexion (or Extension in hands)
Need more explanation?
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The hands are able to invert and evert. To invert, start in
anatomical position, and move the palms so they face each other.
To evert, move the palms so the backs of the hands face each
other. These movements occur in one plane only....the frontal
plane.
The hands are also able to pronate and supinate. To
supinate is like gathering a scoopful of snow from a table in front
of you and cupping the snow in your hand to make a snowball.
Another example is to pretend there is a deck of cards, face down,
on the table in front of you, and you reach out, grab a card and
pull it towards you while flipping it so you can see the face of the
card. To pronate, take that imaginary card in the palm of your
hand and put it back, face down, on the table. This scooping
motion occurs in three planes.
Need more explanation?
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People who do not understand biomechanics (including some
doctors and the authors of many anatomy books!) will state that
the feet can pronate/supinate and invert/evert, and that
"pronation/supination" means the same thing as
"inversion/eversion" and that they can be used interchangeably.
That is incorrect.
The feet can pronate/supinate, but they cannot invert/evert
without tearing a ligament because the subtalar joint is
not shaped to strictly invert/evert in a single plane. When you try
to invert/evert the foot, you will actually be moving the foot in
three planes at the same time, more like a scooping motion, like
drawing a semi-circle in the air with your foot. Therefore, the
correct term for this motion of the foot is pronation/supination.
Need more explanation?
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If you examine this scooping movement of pronation/supination
carefully, you will see that this movement occurs in three planes,
whereas inversion/eversion is movement in one plane only:
Pronation
Supination
Pronation and Supination
Supination
Pronation
Gliding Motion
Common Confusion of
POSITIONS vs. MOVEMENTS
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Prone: a POSITION, not a movement; body is lying face down.
Pronation: a MOVEMENT; when the palm is turned downward (in
Anatomical Position, the palm will face posterior). The foot can also
be pronated; the sole turns laterally away from the body. Pronation
of the foot is a tri-plane movement of plantarflexion, abduction, and
eversion.
Supine: a POSITION, not a movement; body is laying on the back.
Supination: a MOVEMENT; when the palm is turned upward, like
holding a bowl of soup (in Anatomical Position, the palm will face
anterior). The foot can also be supinated; the sole turns medially
towards the body. Supination of the foot is a tri-plane movement of
dorsiflexion, adduction, and inversion.
Movement Terms
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Protraction – to project a body part
anteriorly, such as the shoulders or jaw
Retraction – to pull a body part posteriorly
Movement Terms
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Elevation – lifting a body part superiorly,
such as shoulders or jaw.
Depression – lowering a body part inferiorly
Movement Terms
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Opposition – movement of the thumb to
touch the tips of other fingers
Range Of Motion
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Range Of Motion (Rom)
– The normal range of movement of any body joint.
Range of motion also refers to exercises
designed to maintain this range and prevent
contractures.
Active Range Of Motion
– is the range through which a joint can move
(typically angular, in one degree of freedom),
without assistance or resistance.
Passive ROM
– is the range through which a joint can be moved
by an external force (e.g., applied by a therapist).
Regional Terminology
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Thorax
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Abdomen
Pelvis
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Pectoral Region
Costal = rib
Inguinal (Groin)
Lumbar region
Gluteal region
Axilla (armpit)
Upper Extremity
 Arm (Brachium)
 Cubital fossa
 Forearm
 Hand
 Palmar surface of hand
Lower Extremity
 Thigh
 Leg (Calf in back)
 Popliteal region (behind
knee)
 Foot
 Plantar surface of foot
Joint Abbreviations
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MPJ: Metacarpal (or metatarsal) phalangeal
joint
Joint Abbreviations
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IPJ: Interphalangeal joint
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DIPJ is the distal IPJ
PIPJ is the proximal IPJ
DIPJ
PIPJ
NOTE: There is only one joint in
the thumb, so it is just called the
IPJ
IPJ
Anterior-Posterior X-ray (AP view)
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X-ray beam passes
from anterior to
posterior.
Anterior-Posterior X-ray (AP view)
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X-ray beam passes
from anterior to
posterior.
Lateral X-ray (Lat view)
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X-ray beam passes
from medial to lateral
Lateral X-ray (Lat view)
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X-ray beam passes
from medial to lateral
Oblique X-ray
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Beam enters at
45° angle; good
for identifying
fractures.