UNCONTROLLED WHEN PRINTED
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Abduction | Moving away from the sagittal plane (ant: adduction) |
| Adduction | Moving toward the sagittal plane (ant: abduction) |
| Anterior | Toward the front |
| Caudal or caudad | Tail, tail end |
| Cephalad or cranial | Head |
| Circumduction | Combined movements of flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, medial and lateral rotation |
| Depression | Lowering a structure (ant: elevation) |
| Distal | Away from a reference point (e.g. an extremity) |
| Dorsal | Posterior |
| Elevation | Raising a structure (ant: depression) |
| Extension | Increasing angle with frontal plane (ant: flexion) |
| Flexion | Decreasing angle with frontal plane (ant: extention) |
| Inferior | Lower or below |
| Lateral | Away from the midline of the body |
| Lateral rotation | Movement around an axis or bone away from the midsagittal plane |
| Medial | Toward the midline of the body |
| Medial rotation | Movement around an axis or bone toward the midsagittal plane |
| Posterior | Toward the back |
| Protraction | Moving forward along a surface (ant: retraction) |
| Proximal | Toward a reference point (e.g. an extremity) |
| Retraction | Moving backward along a surface (ant: protraction) |
| Superior | Upper or above |
| Ventral | Anterior |
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 | Default Author St John WA |
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