Movement of a limb toward the midline of the body
Author: Adrian Rad BSc (Hons) • Reviewer: Francesca Salvador MSc Show This article will shed some light on the various types of movements in the human body. They will be grouped in pairs of ‘antagonistic actions’ (actions that oppose one another), just like certain muscle groups. In order to understand fellow medical students and physicians, you need to have an excellent grasp of the anatomical language. This can simultaneously be a blessing and a curse. If you see the glass half full, the language is extremely precise and exact, leaving no room for errors, misinterpretation, or miscommunication. If you see the glass half empty, there is only one specific term that can accurately describe an anatomical structure/movement/relation, which means there are a lot of words that you need to learn in order to become fluent in this language. Almost every anatomy department in the world naturally focuses its resources on teaching students the names and details of bones, muscles, vessels, nerves, etc. However, the basic concepts of planes, relations, and especially anatomical movements are glanced over in perhaps the first 30 minutes to 1 hour. Planes and relations eventually catch up with students because they are constantly used to relate anatomical structures together, but movements are usually forgotten or poorly understood. Key facts about the movements in the human body
What is a movement?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):
Learn everything about the human body movements with our articles, video tutorials, quizzes, and labeled diagrams. Flexion/extensionThe opposing movements of flexion and extension take place in sagittal directions around a frontal/coronal axis. 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. KneeFlexion and extension of the knee consist of the following:
ElbowFlexion and extension of the elbow joint can be described as follows:
ShoulderFlexion and extension of the shoulder occur like this:
NeckFlexion and extension of the neck follow the format below:
Vertebral columnFlexion and extension of the vertebral column follow the following movement template:
FootIn 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. Abduction/adductionThe 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. Are you struggling to remember all of these terms like abduction, adduction and flexion? Master basic medical terminology with our quizzes and free worksheets! Arms & LegsThe easiest examples for understanding abduction and adduction are the legs and arms, which are very similar:
DigitsThe 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.
Protrusion/retrusionThe movements of protrusion and retrusion take place in the sagittal plane. Since they are also related to the frontal/coronal 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. MandibleProtrusion and retrusion of the mandible occur as follows:
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/elevationWhile protrusion and retrusion move anatomical structures forward and backwards, depression and elevation move them down (inferiorly) and up (superiorly), respectively. MandibleThe template for the mandible is as follows:
Lateral/medial rotationRotation happens in the transverse plane around a vertical (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
Arm/leg
Pronation/supinationStrictly 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:
MnemonicPronation and supination are very similar and easily confused. Use the following mnemonic to never confuse pronation and supination ever again! Supinate to the Sun and Pronate to the Plants
CircumductionCircumduction 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)DeviationDeviation 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:
Opposition/repositionThese 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/eversionThe 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. MnemonicIn order to easily remember the muscles that produce inversion and eversion you can use the mnemonic called "Second letter rule": Eversion muscles
Inversion muscles
Ready to test your knowledge of human body movements? Try out our quiz below: Hyperflexion/hyperextensionHyperflexion and hyperextension are exaggerated movements beyond the normal limit permitted by a joint. It can happen in limbs or the vertebral column and can result in ligament tear, damage, or dislocations. Hyperextension of the vertebral column, which can happen during sudden acceleration and deceleration, is particularly dangerous. The overextension of the cervical part of the column can result in a whiplash injury and can be a potential threat to the integrity of the spinal cord. SourcesAll content published on Kenhub is reviewed by medical and anatomy experts. The information we provide is grounded on academic literature and peer-reviewed research. Kenhub does not provide medical advice. You can learn more about our content creation and review standards by reading our content quality guidelines. References:
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