AnatomyLesson 1 of 1 in the course Joints

Synovial Joint Movements: Limb, Foot, Scapular, and Thumb Actions

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Body movements are described in relation to the anatomical position: standing upright, arms at the sides, and palms facing forward. This shared reference point makes movement descriptions consistent, even when a person is in another position.

Movement at a synovial joint results from muscles attached to bones on either side of the joint. Structural type limits or enables the movement: for example, a hinge joint mainly permits flexion and extension, while a ball-and-socket joint allows movement in several directions.

All flashcards

What is the anatomical position?
The standard reference posture for describing movements: standing upright, arms at the sides, and palms facing forward.
How do flexion and extension differ at a limb joint?
Flexion bends the joint and decreases the angle between the bones; extension straightens it and increases the angle.
What are abduction and adduction?
Abduction moves a body part away from the body's midline; adduction moves it toward or across the midline.
What is circumduction?
A movement in which the far end of a body region traces a circle, combining flexion, abduction, extension, and adduction.
How do medial and lateral rotation differ at the shoulder or hip?
Medial rotation turns the front of the limb toward the body's midline; lateral rotation turns it away.

Quiz questions

  1. When the forearm turns so the palm faces backward and the radius crosses over the ulna, which movement occurs?Answer: Pronation.
  2. At the ankle, what movement lifts the front of the foot toward the anterior leg?Answer: Dorsiflexion.
  3. Which movement turns the sole toward the body's midline through the intertarsal joints?Answer: Inversion.
  4. What is side-to-side movement of the mandible called?Answer: Excursion.
  5. What movement brings the tip of the thumb into contact with a fingertip?Answer: Opposition.

Based on Anatomy and Physiology 2e by J. Gordon Betts, Kelly A. Young, James A. Wise, Eddie Johnson, Brandon Poe, Dean H. Kruse, Oksana Korol, Jody E. Johnson, Mark Womble, Peter DeSaix (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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