DEPARTMENT OF ANATOMY, PUMS

INTRODUCTORY LECTURE SERIES – ANA 211

TOPIC:
TERMS OF POSITION AND MOVEMENT

BY
M. A. AMADI
LEARNING GOAL: Terms of Position & Movement
• LEARNING OBJECTIVES – At the end of the lecture,
students should be able to:
• Know the names given to specific regions of the body for
reference
• Describe the position of one body part relative to another
• Describe sections and anatomical planes
• Describe the various movements of the body
• Describe the range of motion at various joints
Anatomical Position (AP)
• AP refers to a body position whereby a person is
standing erect, with the:

• Head, gaze (eyes), and toes directed anteriorly.

• Arms adjacent to the sides with the palms facing

anteriorly.

• Lower limbs close together with the feet parallel

and the toes directed anteriorly.

• AP is the standard reference point in which all

positions, movements, and planes are described
 Terms of positions (Directional terms )
• These descriptions compare the position of two structures

relative to one another in the anatomical position.

• They are in pairs of opposites, so if the eyes, for instance, are

superior to the nose, it is automatically inferred that the nose is

inferior to the eyes.

 Terms of positions (Directional terms ) (cont’d)

• Anterior • Distal
• Posterior • Proximal
• Ventral • Superficial
• Intermediate
• Dorsal
• Deep
• Superior
• Cranial
• Inferior
• Caudal
• Medial • Palmar
• Median • Dorsal (of hand)
• Lateral - (unilateral, bilateral, • Plantar
contralateral, ipsilateral – Terms of • Dorsal (of foot)
laterality)
Anterior
• A position in front or
nearer to the front

Posterior
• A position in the back or
nearer to the back.

Anterior Posterior
Ventral
• Towards the front or belly

Dorsal
• Towards the back
Superior
• Higher than another structure
in the body or closer to the
head.

Inferior
• Lower than another structure
in the body or closer to the feet
Cranial (Cephalic)
• Towards the head or skull

Caudal
• Towards the tail (coccyx in
humans)

Rostral
• Nearer the anterior part of the
head (e.g., the frontal lobe of the
brain is rostral to the cerebellum).
Medial
• Nearer to the midline or median plane of the
body.

Median
• Midline of the body

Lateral
• Farther away from the median plane.

• A structure located laterally could be

unilateral, bilateral, ipsilateral or contraleral
(terms of laterality).
 Terms of Laterality (Lateral)
Unilateral
• On one side of the body

Bilateral
• On both sides of the body

Ipsilateral
• On the same side

Contralateral
• On opposite sides
Distal
• Farther away from the
attachment of a limb

Proximal
• Nearer to the attachment of a
limb

• Both terms (distal & proximal)

are only used to make reference
to the limbs.
Superficial
• Towards or at the body surface e.g. the skin

Deep
• The position of an underlying structure; more internal or
closer to the core of the body e.g. the lungs

Intermediate
• Between a superficial and deep e.g. the biceps,
intermediate between skin and the humerus
Prone
• Lying face down

Supine
• Lying face up
Palmar
• Anterior surface of hand or palm of hand (palmar)

Dorsal (of hand)

• Posterior surface of hand (dorsum)

Plantar
• Inferior surface of foot (sole)

Dorsal (of foot)

• Superior surface of foot (dorsum)
 Anatomical Planes
• These are fixed lines of reference along which the body is often
divided or sectioned to facilitate viewing of its structures.

• They allow one to obtain a three-dimensional perspective by

studying the body from different views

• They include:
– Median/sagittal/midsagittal plane
– Frontal/coronal plane
– Transverse/horizontal plane
Anatomical Planes
Sagittal plane
• The plane dividing the body
into right and left portions

• Midsagittal or median are

names for the plane
dividing the body into equal
right and left halves
Frontal plane
• The plane dividing the body
into front and back portions

• Also called the Coronal

plane
Transverse plane
• The horizontal plane
dividing the body into
upper and lower portions

• Also called the Horizontal

plane
 Terms of Movements
• Flexion • Medial (internal) rotation
• Extension • Lateral (external) rotation
• Hyperextension • Rotation (trunk)
• Hyperflexion • Lateral Flexion (trunk)
• Plantarflexion • Extension (trunk)
• Dorsiflexion • Pronation
• Abduction • Supination
• Circumduction
• Adduction
• Deviation
• Protrusion
• Opposition
• Retrusion
• Reposition
• Protraction • Inversion
• Retraction • Eversion
• Depression
• Elevation
Flexion
• Bending a joint or decreasing the
angle at a joint.

Extension
• Straightening a joint or increasing
the angle at a joint.
Hyperextension
• Abnormal or excessive extension of a joint beyond its normal
range of motion, thus resulting in injury.

• Hyperextension injuries are common at hinge joints such as the

knee or elbow.

Hyperflexion
• Excessive flexion at a joint beyond its normal range of motion,
thereby resulting in injury.
• In cases of “whiplash” in

which the head is suddenly

moved backward and then

forward, a patient may

experience both hyperextension

and hyperflexion of the cervical Whiplash injury caused by hyperextension and

hyperflexion of cervical spine

region.
Adduction
• Moving a body part towards the
midline of the body

Abduction
• Moving a body part away from the
midline of the body
Pronation
• Turning the arm or foot downward
(palm or sole of the foot - down)

Supination
• Turning the arm or foot upward
(palm or sole of the foot - up)
Retraction
• Moving a part backward

Protraction
• Moving a part forward

Elevation
• Raising a part

Depression
• Lowering a part
Retrusion
• Moving backwards (tongue, mandible)

Rotation
• Turning or revolving a part of the body around its
longitudinal axis
Circumduction
• Tri-planar, circular motion at the hip or

shoulder.

• It is a combination of flexion, extension,

abduction, and adduction occurring in

such a way that the distal end of the part

moves in a circle.
Medial (internal) rotation
• Rotation of the hip or shoulder toward the
midline

Lateral (external) rotation

• Rotation of the hip or shoulder away from
the midlie
Flexion (trunk)
• Side (lateral flexion) or forward (anterior
flexion) bending

Flexion and extension (forward and

Lateral flexion (side bending)of the head and neck, and trunk backward bending)of the trunk
Extension (trunk)
• Bending backwards
Inversion
Movements (of the foot)
• Plantar side of the foot is rotated towards the
median plane
Eversion
• Plantar side of the foot is rotated away from
the median plane
Dorsiflexion
• Ankle movement bringing the foot towards
the shin

Plantarflexion
• Ankle movement pointing the foot
downward
 Movements (of the wrist and thumb)
Deviation
• Movement of the wrist joint towards the
radial or ulnar sides (radial deviation, ulnar
deviation)

Radial Deviation
• Movement of the wrist towards the radius or
lateral side.

Ulnar Deviation
• Movement of the wrist towards the ulna or
medial side.
 Movements (of the wrist and thumb)
Opposition
• Touching the pad of any one of
the fingers with the thumb of the
same hand.

Reposition
• Separating the pad of any of the
fingers from the thumb of the
same hand
 REGIONS
• Head and Neck

• Trunk
–Thorax
–Abdomen
–Pelvis & Perineum

• Extremities (or limbs)

–Upper
–Lower
 Regional terms
• Axial: includes the head, neck, and trunk.

• Appendicular: includes the limbs which are attached to

the body's axis.
anterior
posterior
THE END