Movement Terminology Worksheet
Movement Terminology Worksheet
Purpose: To review the various articulations of the human body, to familiarize you with the
movements possible at these joints, and to learn terminology used to describe human
movement.
Background Information:
To study, analyze, or teach human movements, one must be able to clearly describe a position or
movement. Since there are numerous positions and movements the human body can adopt and perform, a
reference or baseline position is used to reduce confusion and define positional and motion terms.
“Anatomical position” is the name of this baseline position. The anatomical position is an upright
standing posture in which all joints, except the ankle, are extended so that all body segments form a
straight line, with the palms facing forward. The anatomical position is used to define movement
terminology. The movement terms are defined according to the orientation of 3 cardinal planes and their
associated axes to the body. Basically, a plane can be described as a pane of glass that the divides the
body or a segment into two parts. The cardinal planes cut the body exactly in half. Each cardinal plane is
associated with an infinite number of planes that pass through the body (sort of like a stack of paper, in
which the cardinal plane is the sheet of paper that is in the middle of the stack. Each plane has its own
axis of rotation. The axis runs perpendicular to the plane. Body segments can move linearly in a plane, or
angularly in a plane and around its associated axis. The joint that is in the center of the surrounding
moving segments is the axis. A movement term for the body or a segment is defined according to which
of the three planes it is moving in. The intersection of the cardinal planes while in anatomical position is
called the center of gravity. It is important to know that these terms are derived from the knowledge of
planes and axes. In advanced movement analysis, the planes and axes become the basis for quantitative
analysis and thus the dominant system for research.
The joints in the human body can be classified according to structure or function. For the
purpose of this lab, we will use a very simple functional classification system. Joints may be
classified according to the number of axes around which movement can occur. For this lab, you
will use the terms nonaxial (no axis), uniaxial (one axis), biaxial (two axes), and triaxial (three
axes) to classify the joints in the body.
1. On a separate sheet of paper, use your textbook and/or notes from your Human Anatomy
course to write the definitions of the terms listed under objective #1 on the previous page.
2. Review the major bones of the body listed on the following page and make sure you can
identify them on the diagrams provided.
Movement Terminology 3
Procedures to be completed:
1. complete the questions on the following pages for the major moveable joints in the human
body. Consider the body in anatomical position and the proximal segment of each joint
fixed.
Reduce the shoulder girdle movements by holding the scapula and clavicle with the hand.
b. It will be obvious that frontal plane movement is not possible at this joint. Transverse
plane movement seems possible, but occurs instead at the proximal radioulnar joint (closely
related to the humeroulnar) and distal radioulnar joint (closely related to the wrist joint).
Radioulnar Joints
Axis of movement?
Name of movement?
Knee Joint
Axis of movement?
b. With the knee flexed (as in a sitting position), rotate the tibia and fibula so that the anterior
aspect of the leg turns medially and then laterally.
Because the knee can perform movement in two planes, it is classified as a biaxial joint.
Ankle Joint (talocrural)
2. Name several joints that permit circumduction. Demonstrate circumduction at these joints to
your lab partner.
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3. Name several joints that permit hyperextension. Demonstrate hyperextension at these joints
to your lab partner.
4. Complete the charts on the following page for the skills displayed on the projector screen.
Movement Terminology 8
Skill #1
Skill #2
Name this skill. In what plane are you observing this skill? What motion is occurring in the
trunk for the phase depicted?
Skill #3
Complete the chart below to perform a basic anatomical analysis for the right shoulder joint during
the performance of this skill. The first step of a qualitative anatomical analysis is to break down the
performance into discrete phases. How you determine the phases depends on the complexity of your
analysis. For today, you should identify the phases of the skill so that only one joint action is defined
for the shoulder during that phase. Fill in the phase column with phase names you deem appropriate.
It is possible that you may not use all of the rows provided.
1. Although there is no motion occurring at the trunk in Skill #1 that you analyzed during lab,
does this mean that there are no muscles being contracted across the trunk? Explain your
answer.
2. How do the actions at the shoulder joint differ between a wide-grip and a narrow-grip pull-up
(forearms are in a supinated position)?
3. Complete the chart on the following page by writing the following information in the
appropriate columns: (a) functional classification of the joint, (b) names of all possible
movements, (c) the plane in which each movement occurs, and, (d) the axis around which the
movement occurs. Assume the body is in anatomical position. Be sure to list specific
movement terminology used for those joints where appropriate.
Movement Terminology 10
Wrist
Radioulnar
Elbow
Shoulder
Hip
Knee
Ankle
MCP/MTP
PIP/DIP
training exercises as examples. Be as specific as possible when describing the example. List the joint at which the action is
occurring. The first one has been done as an example.