Types of Body Movements

Types of Body Movements

by: Maggie

Concept of movement

Sagittal (Sagittalis)

Without going into complicated physics explanations and equations, movement involves an entity moving from point A to point B. The movement is carried out around a fixed axis or fulcrum and has a direction.

Anatomical movements are no different. They usually involve bones or body parts moving around fixed joints relative to the main anatomical axes (sagittal, coronal, frontal, etc.) or planes parallel to them.

Therefore, the template of anatomical movements consists of the following (not all of them are required for every movement):

• Anatomical structures involved in the movement.
• Reference axes around which the movement happens.
• Direction, which in anatomy is usually related to a standard plane, such as the median, medial, sagittal, frontal, etc.

Flexion/Extension

The opposing movements of flexion and extension take place in sagittal directions around transverse axes. Flexion, or bending, involves decreasing the angle between the two entities taking part in the movement (bones or body parts). In contrast, extension, or straightening, involves increasing the respective angle.

Knee

Flexion of knee (Flexio articulationis genus)

Flexion and extension of the knee consist of the following:

• Anatomical structures: The tibia of the leg moves relative to the femur of the thigh.
• Reference axes: The movement is in the sagittal plane. The fulcrum is provided by the knee joint, through which the transverse axis passes.
• Direction: During flexion, the leg moves backwards (posteriorly). During extension, it moves forwards (anteriorly).

Elbow

Flexion and extension of the elbow joint can be described as follows:

• Anatomical structures: The forearm moves relative to the arm. More precisely, the ulna (one of the two forearm bones) moves relative to the humerus (bone of the arm).
• Reference axes: The movement is in the sagittal plane. The fulcrum is provided by the elbow joint, through which the transverse axis passes.
• Direction: During flexion, the forearm moves upwards and ‘closer’ to the arm, resulting in a decreased angle between them. During extension it straightens, increasing the angle relative to the arm.

Shoulder

Flexion of shoulder (Flexio articulationis glenohumeralis)

Flexion and extension of the shoulder occur like this:

• Anatomical structures: The humerus of the arm moves relative to the scapula of the shoulder blade.
• Reference axes: The movement is in the sagittal plane. The fulcrum is provided by the shoulder, or glenohumeral joint, through which the transverse axis passes.
• Direction: During flexion, the arm moves anteriorly and upwards (in full flexion). During extension, it moves posteriorly and downwards. If a full range of motion is performed, it creates an imaginary arc or semicircle.

Neck

Flexion and extension of the neck follow the format below:

• 

  Flexion of neck (Flexio cervicis)
  Anatomical structures: The skull and cervical vertebrae of the neck move relative to the thoracic vertebrae and upper back.
• Reference axes: The movement is in the sagittal plane. The ‘fulcrum’ is not fixed due to the anatomy and movement of the cervical vertebrae, but it can loosely be positioned through the upper thoracic vertebrae. The transverse axis passes through them.
• Direction: During flexion, the head and neck move anteriorly and downwards (in full flexion). Essentially, you are looking down. During extension, it moves posteriorly and slightly downwards.

Vertebral column

Flexion and extension of the vertebral column follow the following movement template:

• 

  Flexion of vertebral column(Flexio columnae vertebralis)
  Anatomical structures: The vertebral column moves relative to the sacrum and hip bone.
• Reference axes: The movement is in the sagittal plane. You can imagine the ‘fulcrum’ as being loosely through the two hip bones and sacrum. The transverse axis passes through them.
• Direction: During flexion, when you are bending forward, the vertebral column moves anteriorly and downwards (in full flexion). During extension, it moves backwards and slightly downwards.

Foot

In the world of anatomy, flexion of the foot is referred to as dorsiflexion and plantarflexion. Both movements happen at the ankle joint. Dorsiflexion means flexion of the dorsum (top) part of the foot by reducing the angle between it and the anterior surface of the leg. It happens when you lift the front part of your foot while keeping your heel on the ground.

Plantarflexion is flexion of the plantar (underside) part of the foot by moving it down. This movement happens when you are standing on your toes or pointing them.

Dorsiflexion of foot (Dorsiflexio pedis)

Abduction/Adduction

The movements of abduction and adduction are intimately related to the median plane. They both generally occur in the frontal plane and are happening around an anteroposterior axis.

Arms & Legs

Abduction of arm (Abductio brachii)

The easiest examples for understanding abduction and adduction are the legs and arms, which are very similar:

• Anatomical structures: The arm moves relative to the trunk and the shoulder. The leg moves relative to the hip.
• Reference axes: The movement is in the frontal plane. You can imagine the ‘fulcrum’ as axes that pierce the shoulder and the hip respectively, each one following in a forward-backward trajectory.
• Direction: During abduction, you are moving your arm/leg away from the median plane. During adduction, you are moving them towards the median plane. To picture these movements, imagine a child jumping and flailing his/her arms very excitedly in order to grab your attention.

Digits

The digits of the hands and feet are also capable of abduction and adduction, but in a slightly specific way. The movements are also related to the medial plane, but this time to the medial plane of the palm or foot, not the body itself.

• 

  Adduction of fingers (Adductio digitorum manus)
  Anatomical structures: The digits move relative to the third finger of the hand or the second toe of the foot. These two entities represent the medial planes.
• Reference axes: The movement can be in multiple planes, depending on the orientation of the hand or foot.
• Direction: During abduction, you are moving the digits away from the third finger or second toe, hence spreading them apart from the medial plane. Adduction is the opposite - the digits are brought closer.

Protrusion/Retrusion

The movements of protrusion and retrusion take place in the sagittal plane. They are also related to the transverse axis, but instead of only moving around it, these movements are also taking place parallel to it. Protrusion involves a movement going straight ahead or forward.

Retrusion is the opposite and involves going backwards. Anatomical structures capable of such actions are the tongue, chin (mandible) and lips.

Mandible

Protrusion and retrusion of the mandible occur as follows:

• 

  Protraction of mandible(Protractio mandibulae)
  Anatomical structures: The mandible moves relative to the viscerocranium (fused bones of the skull forming the face)
• Reference axes: The movement is in the sagittal plane and parallel to the transverse one.
• Direction: During protrusion, the mandible moves directly anteriorly (think underbite). During retrusion, it moves directly posteriorly (think overbite).

These movements are sometimes interchanged with protraction and retraction. However, the latter pair have an additional movement added to them. Protraction is not only an anterior movement but an anterolateral one as well. This means that the structure moves forwards and laterally. Similarly, retraction also consists of an extra posteromedial movement. The scapulae are the standard example of bones that perform protraction and retraction.

Depression/Elevation

While protrusion and retrusion move anatomical structures forward and backwards, depression and elevation move them down (inferiorly) and up (superiorly), respectively.

Mandible

The template for the mandible is as follows:

• 

  Elevation of mandible (Elevatio mandibulae)
  Anatomical structures: The mandible moves relative to the viscerocranium (fused bones of the skull forming the face)
• Reference axes: The movement is in the frontal plane. It has a ‘fulcrum’ due to the nature of the temporomandibular joint, which is the transverse plane passing through the two respective joints.
• Direction: During depression, the mandible moves directly downwards. During elevation, it moves directly upwards. You are performing these two movements when you open and close your mouth or during mastication.

Lateral/Medial Rotation

Rotation happens in the transverse plane around a superoinferior (longitudinal) axis that happens relative to the median plane. Medial rotation involves bringing the anatomical structure closer to the median plane, while lateral rotation involves moving it further away.

Although very similar, rotations are distinct from abductions/adductions, due to the planes the movements are happening in.

Many anatomical entities take part in rotation, but a few examples are given below.

Head

• 

  Rotation of head (Rotatio capitis)
  Anatomical structures: The head turns relative to the trunk.
• Reference axes: The movement is in the transverse plane. The ‘fulcrum’ is the longitudinal axis passing up and down through the vertebral column and the crown of your head.
• Direction: These two movements happen by changing the position the nose is pointing to. Turning your head laterally corresponds to lateral rotation, while turning it back to look straight ahead corresponds to medial rotation.

Arm/leg

• 

  Internal rotation of arm(Rotatio interna brachii)
  Anatomical structures: The anterior surface of the arm/leg turns relative to the trunk.
• Reference axes: The movement is in the transverse plane. The ‘fulcrum’ is the longitudinal axis passing up and down through the arm/leg itself.
• Direction: These two movements happen by changing the position of their anterior surfaces. By bringing your biceps/vastus muscles towards the midline, you are rotating them medially. If you orientate them in the opposite direction, you are rotating them laterally. For instance, if you are holding a newborn baby, your arms are medially rotated.

Pronation/Supination

Strictly speaking, pronation and supination are considered as two special types of rotation. They are restricted to the forearm and involve the radius twisting over the ulna. The movement template is as follows:

• 

  Pronation of forearm (Pronatio antebrachii)
  Anatomical structures: The distal part of the radius rotates around the ulna. Its proximal part rotates in place.
• Reference axes: The movement is in the transverse plane. The ‘fulcrum’ is the longitudinal axis passing through the ulna.
• Direction: Supination is a lateral rotation of the radius, resulting in the palm of the hand facing anteriorly (if in anatomical position) or superiorly (if elbow is flexed). In contrast, pronation is a medial rotation of the radius, with the palm ending in opposite directions compared to supination. You are supinating and pronating when you hold a bowl of soup and when you empty it, respectively.

Circumduction

Circumduction is a special type of movement that is actually a combination of many other ones. The overall movement starts with flexion, followed by abduction, extension and finally adduction. The order must be sequential, but it can start from either flexion or adduction. The result is a circular movement. Due to the multitude of movements, circumduction is restricted to ball-and-socket type joints, such as the shoulder and the hip.

Circumduction of upper limb - ventral view

Deviation

Deviation is a special type of movement that is restricted to the wrist joint. The movement happens in a longitudinal plane through the wrist relative to an axis passing from palmar to dorsal through the wrist. It occurs as follows:

• 

  Ulnar flexion (Flexio ulnaris)
  Anatomical structures: The carpal bones move in relation to the radius.
• Reference axes: The movement is in the longitudinal plane through the wrist. The ‘fulcrum’ is the palmar to dorsal axis passing through the capitate bone of the wrist. The joint allowing the movement is the radiocarpal joint.
• Direction: Radial deviation involves the movement of the wrist towards the “thumb side”. Ulnar deviation consists of the moving the wrist towards the side of the little finger (fifth digit). As the angle between the hand and the forearm are reduced, deviation can be referred to as radial/ulnar flexion.

Opposition/reposition

These two movements are restricted to the digits of the hand. Essentially, they involve pinching, such as when sprinkling salt over food or snapping your fingers. Anatomically speaking, opposition involves touching the pad of any one of your fingers with the thumb of the same hand. Reposition is the reverse, which consists of separating them.

Opposition of thumb - ventral view

Inversion/Eversion

The antagonistic movements of inversion and eversion take place relative to the median place and are specific to the foot. In eversion, the plantar side of the foot is moved away from the median plane so that it is turned laterally. In inversion, the plantar side is moved towards the median plane, resulting in a medial turn.

Inversion of foot (Inversio pedis)

Watch this video ( Video of:

thefunkyprofessor)

 to learn about anatomical motions. What motions involve increasing or decreasing the angle of the foot at the ankle?

⇭QUIZ ONLINE

Enter this quiz to see how much you know about the subject (KENHUB quiz)

https://www.kenhub.com/en/quizzes/body-movements

Interactive Link Questions

video of: Mark Barwell

Watch this video to learn about anatomical motions. What motions involve increasing or decreasing the angle of the foot at the ankle?

Dorsiflexion of the foot at the ankle decreases the angle of the ankle joint, while plantar flexion increases the angle of the ankle joint.

Review Questions

1. The joints between the articular processes of adjacent vertebrae can contribute to which movement?

1. lateral flexion
2. circumduction
3. dorsiflexion
4. abduction

2. Which motion moves the bottom of the foot away from the midline of the body?

1. elevation
2. dorsiflexion
3. eversion
4. plantar flexion

3. Movement of a body region in a circular movement at a condyloid joint is what type of motion?

1. rotation
2. elevation
3. abduction
4. circumduction

4. Supination is the motion that moves the ________.

1. hand from the palm backward position to the palm forward position
2. foot so that the bottom of the foot faces the midline of the body
3. hand from the palm forward position to the palm backward position
4. scapula in an upward direction

5. Movement at the shoulder joint that moves the upper limb laterally away from the body is called ________.

1. elevation
2. eversion
3. abduction
4. lateral rotation

Critical Thinking Questions

1. Briefly define the types of joint movements available at a ball-and-socket joint.

2. Discuss the joints involved and movements required for you to cross your arms together in front of your chest.

Glossary

abduction

movement in the coronal plane that moves a limb laterally away from the body; spreading of the fingers

adduction

movement in the coronal plane that moves a limb medially toward or across the midline of the body; bringing fingers together

circumduction

circular motion of the arm, thigh, hand, thumb, or finger that is produced by the sequential combination of flexion, abduction, extension, and adduction

depression

downward (inferior) motion of the scapula or mandible

dorsiflexion

movement at the ankle that brings the top of the foot toward the anterior leg

elevation

upward (superior) motion of the scapula or mandible

eversion

foot movement involving the intertarsal joints of the foot in which the bottom of the foot is turned laterally, away from the midline

extension

movement in the sagittal plane that increases the angle of a joint (straightens the joint); motion involving posterior bending of the vertebral column or returning to the upright position from a flexed position

flexion

movement in the sagittal plane that decreases the angle of a joint (bends the joint); motion involving anterior bending of the vertebral column

hyperextension

excessive extension of joint, beyond the normal range of movement

hyperflexion

excessive flexion of joint, beyond the normal range of movement

inferior rotation

movement of the scapula during upper limb adduction in which the glenoid cavity of the scapula moves in a downward direction as the medial end of the scapular spine moves in an upward direction

inversion

foot movement involving the intertarsal joints of the foot in which the bottom of the foot is turned toward the midline

lateral excursion

side-to-side movement of the mandible away from the midline, toward either the right or left side

lateral flexion

bending of the neck or body toward the right or left side

lateral (external) rotation

movement of the arm at the shoulder joint or the thigh at the hip joint that moves the anterior surface of the limb away from the midline of the body

medial excursion

side-to-side movement that returns the mandible to the midline

medial (internal) rotation

movement of the arm at the shoulder joint or the thigh at the hip joint that brings the anterior surface of the limb toward the midline of the body

opposition

thumb movement that brings the tip of the thumb in contact with the tip of a finger

plantar flexion

foot movement at the ankle in which the heel is lifted off of the ground

pronated position

forearm position in which the palm faces backward

pronation

forearm motion that moves the palm of the hand from the palm forward to the palm backward position

protraction

anterior motion of the scapula or mandible

reposition

movement of the thumb from opposition back to the anatomical position (next to index finger)

retraction

posterior motion of the scapula or mandible

rotation

movement of a bone around a central axis (atlantoaxial joint) or around its long axis (proximal radioulnar joint; shoulder or hip joint); twisting of the vertebral column resulting from the summation of small motions between adjacent vertebrae

superior rotation

movement of the scapula during upper limb abduction in which the glenoid cavity of the scapula moves in an upward direction as the medial end of the scapular spine moves in a downward direction

supinated position

forearm position in which the palm faces anteriorly (anatomical position)

supination

forearm motion that moves the palm of the hand from the palm backward to the palm forward position

Solutions

Answers for Review Questions

1. A
2. C
3. D
4. A
5. C

Answers for Critical Thinking Questions

1. Ball-and-socket joints are multiaxial joints that allow for flexion and extension, abduction and adduction, circumduction, and medial and lateral rotation.

To cross your arms, you need to use both your shoulder and elbow joints. At the shoulder, the arm would need to flex and medially rotate. At the elbow, the forearm would need to be flexed

CREDITS:

THE VIDEO IS NOT MY IS OF ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YcNAPzDxDg&feature=related

THE VIDEO IS NOT MY IS OF://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkL6r9hi

Information of: Kim Bengochea, Regis University, Denver

Quiz online of KENHUB:enter this quiz to see how much you know about the subject .

Images propriety of: Kim Bengonchea