Anatomy Terminology

Body Regions

Axial Region (down midline of body) Appendicular Region (limbs)

REGIONS OF THE BODY

1. Axial Region (Goes down midline of the body)– a) Head– b) Neck– c) Trunk (has 3 parts)

1) Thorax (chest area). Above diaphragm. Contains heart and lungs.– Pectoral Region (chest)– Costal ( rib) margin

2) Abdomen (not called the stomach!). Contains the digestive organs

Lumbar region (low back)• Gluteal region (buttocks)

3) Pelvis (area that would be covered by brief underwear) Contains urinary and reproductive organs

Inguinal region (Groin)

REGIONS OF THE BODY

2. Appendicular Region (limbs) a) Upper Limbs

1) Axilla (armpit)2) Arm (Brachium): shoulder to elbow

Antecubital fossa (inside of elbow, where blood is drawn)3) Forearm (elbow to wrist). Don’t confuse with arm!4) Wrist5) Hand: 4 fingers with 3 phalanges each; thumb with 2 phalanges;

Pollicis: ThumbPalmar surface: Palm

REGIONS OF THE BODY

2. Appendicular Region (limbs) b) Lower Limbs

1) Thigh (hip to knee). Don’t confuse with leg!2) Leg (knee to ankle).

Calf (back of the leg)Popliteal region (behind knee)Genu: the knee itself

3) Ankle4) Foot: 5 digits

Hallux: big toePlantar surface: sole of foot

Body Cavities

Figure 1.8a

Body Cavities

Figure 1.8b

Regional Terms (not on the quiz or test)

Figure 1.4a

Figure 1.4b

Regional Terms (not on the quiz or test)

Anatomical Position

The body standing erect, facing forward, feet together, toes pointed anteriorly, hands at one’s side, fingers pointing inferiorly, and palms facing forward.

Once the body is in this position (or imagined to be in this position,) the positional terms can be used correctly.

Anatomical Position

Figure 1.3

Anatomical PositionThe person is standing up straightThe palms face anteriorlyThe knees, elbow, and neck are straight (not bent)The toes point anteriorly, but the fingers point inferiorly

Left and Right: yours or the patient’s?

Positional Terms

These are terms used to describe the position of certain structures on the body.

Note: These are “relative terms.” This means that these words are usually used in relating the position of one body structure to another. You can’t say, “He is shorter”. You have to say, “He is shorter than John”.

Incorrect: the nose is medial Correct: the nose is medial to the ears

Positional Terms

Anterior (Ventral)Posterior (Dorsal)

SuperiorInferior

MedialLateral

SuperficialDeep

ProximalDistal

SupineProne

Positional Terminology

Anterior/Ventral: towards the front of the body (includes palms and soles)

Posterior/Dorsal: towards the back of the body Superior: towards the head Inferior: towards the feet Medial (NOT MIDDLE): towards the midline of body Lateral: away from midline Varus: inward angulation of the distal segment of a bone or joint. Valgus: outward angulation of the distal segment of a bone or

joint.

Positional Terminology

Superficial: Toward the external environment Deep: Towards the inner body Proximal: towards the heart Distal: away from the heart Supine: Laying on one’s back Prone: Laying on one’s stomach

Positional Terms

Positional Terms

(Skip)

Positional Terms

Body Planes

• Frontal (Coronal)• Sagittal• Transverse

Sagittal plane

Para-Sagittal plane

Body Planes and Sections• Frontal (coronal) plane

– Lies vertically and divides body or organ into anterior and posterior parts

• Sagittal plane– Divides right from left side of body or organ

• Midsagittal (median) plane– Specific sagittal plane that lies vertically in the midline

and divides body into EQUAL right and left sides • Parasagittal plane

– Specific sagittal plane that lies vertically in the midline and divides body into UNEQUAL right and left sides

• Transverse plane • Divides body or organ into superior-inferior parts

Body Planes and Sections

Figure 1.5

Banana Sectioned into Planes

Transverse plane

Sagittal plane

Frontal (coronal) plane

Movement Terms

Flexion: to decrease the angle of a joint

Extension: to increase the angle of a joint, returning it to anatomical position

Hyperextension: extension beyond anatomical position

In the foot, there are special terms used instead of flexion/extension:

Dorsiflexion: flexion of the ankle joint; to raise the toes up in the air. When you stand on your heels with your toes up in the air, you are dorsiflexing your ankle joints.

Plantarflexion: extension of the ankle joint; to point the toes downward. When you stand on your toes, you are plantarflexing your ankle joints.

Flexion and Extension

Flexion: to decrease the angle of a jointExtension: to increase the angle of a joint, returning it to anatomical positionHyperextension: extension beyond anatomical position

Flexion and Extension

Flexion: to decrease the angle of a jointExtension: to increase the angle of a joint, returning it to anatomical positionHyperextension: extension beyond anatomical position

Flexion, Extension, Hyperextension

ExtensionHyperextension

Movement Terminology

Internal Rotation (or medial rotation): to rotate in the transverse plane toward the midline of the body

External Rotation (or Lateral Rotation): to rotate in the transverse plane away from the midline of the body.

These two terms are usually used to describe motions of the shoulder or hips.

Internal Rotation External Rotation

Movement Terms

Abduction: to move a body part away from the midline of the body in the frontal plane

Adduction: to move a body part toward the midline of the body in the frontal plane

Circumduction: to move a body part in a circle

Rotation: to pivot a body part around an axis, as in shaking the head “no”

Abduction, Adduction, Circumduction

Movement Terminology

Inversion: to rotate in the frontal plane toward the midline of the body. Inversion puts the body part into the varus position.

Eversion: to rotate in the frontal plane away from the midline of the body. Eversion puts the body part into the valgus position.

You invert and evert your hands, but the bones of the ankle don’t move in a single plane. Rather, they move in three planes, so that motion is more properly called supination and pronation.

Movements of the Hand or Foot Only

Supination and Pronation are movements in three planes.

Supination (tri-plane movement)– Inversion– Adduction– Dorsiflexion (or Flexion in hands)

Pronation (tri-plane movement)– Eversion– Abduction– Plantarflexion (or Extension in hands)

Pronation Supination

Pronation and Supination

PronationSupination

Gliding Motion

Common Confusion of POSITIONS vs. MOVEMENTS

Prone: a POSITION, not a movement; body is lying face down. Pronation: a MOVEMENT; when the palm is turned downward (in

Anatomical Position, the palm will face posterior). The foot can also be pronated; the sole turns laterally away from the body. Pronation of the foot is a tri-plane movement of plantarflexion, abduction, and eversion.

Supine: a POSITION, not a movement; body is laying on the back. Supination: a MOVEMENT; when the palm is turned upward, like

holding a bowl of soup (in Anatomical Position, the palm will face anterior). The foot can also be supinated; the sole turns medially towards the body. Supination of the foot is a tri-plane movement of dorsiflexion, adduction, and inversion.

Movement Terms

Protraction – to project a body part anteriorly in the transverse plane, such as the shoulders or jaw

Retraction – to pull a body part posteriorly

Movement Terms

Elevation – lifting a body part superiorly, such as shoulders or jaw.

Depression – lowering a body part inferiorly

Movement Terms

Opposition – movement of the thumb to touch the tips of other fingers

Regional Terminology

Thorax– Pectoral Region– Costal = rib

Abdomen Pelvis

– Inguinal (Groin)

Lumbar region Gluteal region Axilla (armpit)

Upper Extremity Arm (Brachium)

Antecubital fossa Forearm Hand

Palmar surface of handLower Extremity Thigh Leg (Calf in back)

Popliteal region (behind knee)

Genu: the knee itself Foot

Plantar surface of foot

Joint Abbreviations

MPJ: Metacarpal (or metatarsal) phalangeal joint

Joint Abbreviations

IPJ: Interphalangeal joint– DIPJ is the distal IPJ– PIPJ is the proximal IPJ

NOTE: The joint at the tip of the thumb is just called the IPJ

PIPJ

IPJ

DIPJ

Anterior-Posterior X-ray (AP view)

X-ray beam passes from anterior to posterior.

Anterior-Posterior X-ray (AP view)

X-ray beam passes from anterior to posterior.

Lateral X-ray (Lat view)

X-ray beam passes from medial to lateral

Lateral X-ray (Lat view)

X-ray beam passes from medial to lateral

Oblique X-ray

Beam enters at 45° angle; good for identifying fractures.

Long Bones

Spongy (cancellous) Bone

Compact Bone

Long Bones Contain Spongy and Compact Bone.

Histology

Histology is the study of normal tissues under a microscope.

Be able to recognize a description of all the structures seen in compact bone under a microscope:– Lacunae, perforating canal, osteon (functional unit

of compact bone), central canal, canaliculi, lamellae, osteocytes, osteoblasts, osteoclasts, periosteum, hydroxyapatite.

Compact Bone

Compact Bone Structures

Osteon: functional unit of compact bone. hydroxyapatite The crystalline structure of calcium and phosphate

that make up bone matrix lamellae The circular and concentric layers of collagen fibers lacunae The pockets or cavities in which the cells are trapped Haversian (or central) canal The large channels containing a blood

vessel which run longitudinally down the center of each unit canaliculi The “tiny channels” which run transversely through the

layers of bone and allow for diffusion of nutrients and wastes to the cells

perforating canal: connects one Haversian canal to another osteocytes The mature bone cells which are trapped in the matrix and

help to maintain it Osteoblasts: bone cells that lay down new bone Osteoclasts: bone cells that reabsorb bone

Bone Terms to Know

Periosteum (secured to the bone by Sharpey’s fibers) Sharpey’s fibers (anchor the outer wrapping to the bony

matrix below it) Articular Cartilage (cap around long bone) Tendon (attaches muscle to bone) Ligament (attaches bone-to-bone) Aponeurosis (modified tendon) Epiphysis (ends of long bones) Diaphysis (shaft of long bone) Medullary Cavity (hollow area inside long bone) Spongy (cancellous) Bone (contains trabeculae instead of

osteons and lamellae) Trabeculae (appearance of a sponge)

Spongy Bone

Instead of osteons, spongy bone has trebeculae.

Bone Cells

Osteoblast (makes bone) Osteocyte (mature bone cell) Osteoclast (reabsorbs bone)

Histology

Tendons and ligaments are made from what type of connective tissue?– Dense Regular Connective Tissue

Tendon: dense reg. CT

Bones Lab

The Axial Skeleton

Skull Sternum Vertebrae

– 7 Cervical– 12 thoracic– 5 lumbar– 5 sacral– 5 fused coccygeal

Ribs

Appendicular Skeleton

Humerus Radius Ulna Carpals

– Metacarpals– Phalanges (pollicis is thumb)

Femur Patella Tibia Fibula Tarsals

– Metatarsals– Phalanges (hallux is big toe)

Pelvic Girdles Os Coxae (Innominate bone)

– Ilium– Ischium– Pubis

Pectoral Girdles Clavicle Scapula