Anatomy and Physiology - Planes, Movements and Defintions

• Anatomy: - Branch of biological science that studies the structure of an organism.
  

• Physiology: - The science of the functioning of living organisms and of their component parts.

• Gross scale: - Large scale systemic and regional.

• Micro scale: - Small scale structure.

• Surface anatomy: - The features we can see or palpate (examine by touch) on the outside of the body. Prominent anatomical structures that we can see / palpate are called anatomical landmarks.

• Clinical anatomy: - Relates to how anatomical structures change with pathology or range of motion (the amount of movement allowed at a joint).

• Positional terminlogy: - Describes the position of structures in space / in relation to each other.

• Flexion: - involves ‘the bending of two adjacent body segments so that their two anterior/posterior surfaces are brought together’ (Palastanga & Soames, 2012, p3).
  

• Extension: - involves ‘the moving apart of two opposing surfaces’ or ‘movement beyond the neutral position’ (Palastanga & Soames, 2012, p3).
  

• Plantarflexion: - ‘Moving the top (dorsum) of the foot away from the anterior surface of the leg’.

• Dorsiflexion: - ‘Bringing the dorsum of the foot towards the anterior surface of the leg’.

• Eversion/Valgus: - Posterior (back) of hindfoot moving away from midline.

• Inversion/Varus: - Posterior aspect of hindfoot moving closer towards the midline.

• Abduction: - ‘The movement of a body segment such that it moves away from the midline of the body’ (Palastanga & Soames, 2012, p3).

• Adduction: - ‘The movement of a body segment in a coronal plane such that it moves towards the midline of the body’ (Palastanga & Soames, 2012, p3).

• Medial Rotation: - ‘Rotation of a limb segment about its longitudinal axis so that the anterior surface comes to face the midline of the body’ (Palastanga & Soames, 2012, p3).

• Lateral rotation: - ‘Rotation of a limb segment about its longitudinal axis so that the anterior surface faces away from the midline’ (Palastanga & Soames, 2012, p3).

Common words to describe the position of anatomical structures:

• Anterior: - To the front.

• Posterior: - To the back.

• Superior: - Above.

• Inferior: - Below.

• Lateral: - Away from the midline.

• Medial: - Towards the middle.

• Proximal: - Closer to the middle of the body.

• Distal: - Further away from the middle of the body.

• Superficial: - Closer to the surface of the body.

• Deep: - Further away from the surface of the body.

• Body standing erect
• Body facing forwards
• Legs together
• Feet parallel with toes pointing forwards
• Arms hanging loosely
• Palms of hands facing forwards (thumb lateral)

• Condyle: - a round protuberance that occurs at the end of some bones.

• Epicondyle: - the protuberance above a condyle at the end of an articulating bone.

• Fossa: - a depression or hollow.

• Foramen: - a hole.

• Process: - a thin prominence or protuberance.

• Ramus: - a thin process projecting from a bone.

• Spine: - a sharp process of a bone.

• Sulcus: - groove.

• Trabecula: - the thin bars of bony tissue in spongy bone.

• Lamella: - thin bands of calcified bone matrix.

• Trochlear: - an anatomical part having the structure or function of a pulley.

• Tuberosity: - a large rounded protuberance on a bone / expanded / pulled out.

• Facet: - plate like surface.

• Sagittal Plane: - can be seen when standing side on to someone.

• Coronal Plane: - can be seen when you stand in front of / behind someone.

• Transverse Plane: - can be seen when you stand above or below someone.