ANATOMICAL TERMS OF MOVEMENTS OR MOTION

*are used to describe the actions of muscles on the skeleton. Muscles contract to produce movement at
joints, and the subsequent movements can be precisely described using the terminology below.

FLEXION
*means to the bending of the elbow or knee or any other joint. Also it mandatorily refers to the
placement of two ventral surfaces, that are usually the same thing.

EXTENSION
*is the straightening of a joint or the movement of two ventral surfaces such that they come to lie
further apart.

ABDUCTION AND ADDUCTION

* is movement of a part of a body away from the midline in the coronal plane. For example, abduction
of the arm is lifting the arm out sideways.Adduction is movement towards the middle of the body in the
coronal plane.

PLANTAR/DORSIFLEXION
*are used to describe movement of the foot at the ankle as the use of the terms ‘flexion’ and ‘extension’
is confusing. True flexion of the foot is straightening at the ankle, because this leads to two ventral
surfaces coming closer together.

ROTATION – MEDIAL AND LATERAL

*Rotation: rotation is movement around the long axis of a bone. For example rotation of the femur at
the hip joint will cause the foot to point laterally or medially.

Medial rotation: Medial rotation denotes movement towards median plane or inward rotation, medial
rotation of arm at shoulder joint.

Lateral rotation: Lateral rotation denotes rotation away from the median plane or outward rotation,
lateral rotation of arm at shoulder joint.

SUPINATION/PRONATION
*are special terms used to refer to rotational movements of the forearm, best thought of when the
elbow is flexed to 90 degrees.

ELEVATION AND DEPRESSION

Elevation: Raising or moving a body part towards the cephalic (head) end is termed as elevation.

Depression: Lowering or moving a body part caudally (toe) is termed as depression.

CIRCUMDUCTION
*Combined movement of flexion, extension, adduction and abduction in a circular manner is termed as
circumduction.

PROTRUSION AND RETRACTION

Protrusion: It is the forward movement of a body part.

Retraction: It is the backward movement from protrusion.

PRONATION AND SUPINATION

Pronation: It is the medial rotation of forearm so that the palm comes to face backwards.

Supination: It is the lateral rotation of forearm so that the palm comes to face anteriorly (forwards).

INVERSION AND EVERSION OF FOOT

Inversion of foot: It is the movement that causes the plantar surface of foot to face inwards and
downwards.

Eversion of foot: It is the movement that causes the plantar surface of foot to face laterally and
downwards.

OPPOSITION
*It is a combination of abduction, medial rotation and flexion. This movement characteristically occurs
in the thumb.