Anatomy of the lower limbs
Department
of
Anatomy and Histology
Faculty of medicine
The University of Jordan
2020
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
By Dr. Amjad Shatarat
of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan
ANATOMICAL POSITION
The anatomical position is the standard reference position of
the body, used to describe the location of structures.
based on the assumption
that the person is:
1- Standing erect
2- The upper limbs by
the sides
3- The face and palms of
the hands directed
forward
4-Feet by the sides
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan
Various parts of the body
are described in relation to
certain imaginary planes
Sagittal
Two Vertical planes
Coronal
This is why we need to know the difference between them
One Horizontal OR Transverse
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan
A-Vertical planes
1-The Sagittal Plane
Passes through the center of the body
Divides the body into right and left halves
Types:
1- median sagittal plane; Divides the body into
equal right and left halves
2-Coronal Plane
Is an imaginary vertical plane at right angles to
the median plane and divides the body into
anterior and posterior parts
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan
B- Transverse, horizontal,
divide the body into
superior and inferior parts
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan
Terms to describe location sternum
posterior
Anterior (ventral) and posterior (dorsal)
Anterior
describe the position of structures relative
to the 'front' and 'back' of the body.
For example, the nose is anterior to the
ears and the vertebral column is
posterior to the sternum.
vertebral column
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan
Medial and lateral
Medial and lateral describe the position of structures relative to the median sagittal plane and
the sides of the body . Any structure situated nearer to the median plane of the body than
another is said to be medial to the other. Similarly, a structure that lies farther away
from the median plane than another is said to be lateral to the other
For example, the thumb is lateral to
the little finger.
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan
Superior and inferior
Superior and inferior describe
structures in reference to the
vertical axis of the body.
For example, the head is superior to the
shoulders and the knee joint is inferior to the
hip joint.
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan
Proximal and distal
are used with reference to
being closer or farther from a
structure's origin, particularly
in the limbs.
For example, the hand is
distal to the elbow joint.
Cranial (towards the head) and caudal
(towards the tail) are sometimes used
instead of superior and inferior
respectively
Superficial…….Nearer to body surface
Deep………… Away from body surface
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan
The joints
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan
Joints
When two bones or more come together wither there is movement between them or not.
According to the tissue laying between the articulating bones ,joints are classified into:
Synovial joints are connections between skeletal components where the
elements involved are separated by a narrow articular cavity
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan
A- Sutures occur only in the skull where
adjacent bones are linked by a thin layer of
connective tissue termed a sutural ligament.
B-Gomphoses occur only between the teeth and
adjacent bone. In these joints, short collagen
tissue fibers in the periodontal ligament run
between the root of the tooth and the bony socket.
C-Syndesmoses are joints in which two adjacent
bones are linked by a ligament. Examples are the
ligamentum flavum, which connects adjacent
vertebral laminae, and an interosseous membrane,
which links, for example, the radius and ulna in the
forearm. Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan
A-Synchondroses occur where two parts in a developing
bone remain separated by a layer of cartilage, for example
the growth plate that occurs between the head and shaft
of developing long bones. These joints allow bone growth
and eventually become completely ossified.
B-Symphyses occur where two separate
bones are interconnected by cartilage.
Most of these types of joints occur in the
midline and include the pubic symphysis
between the two pelvic
bones, and intervertebral discs between
adjacent vertebrae
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan
1-The presence of a space called a synovial Features of Synovial Joints
(joint) cavity between the articulating bones
2-The bones are covered by a
layer of hyaline cartilage called
articular cartilage.
The cartilage covers the
articulating surface of the bones
with a smooth, slippery surface
3-Articular Capsule
A sleevelike articular (joint) capsule
surrounds a synovial joint,
The articular capsule is composed of
two layers, an outer fibrous
membrane and an inner synovial
membrane
4-Synovial Fluid 5-Accessory Ligaments,
The synovial membrane secretes synovial fluid Articular Discs
Its functions include reducing friction and Many synovial joints also
supplying oxygen and nutrients to and removing contain accessory ligaments
carbon dioxide and metabolic wastes from the called extracapsular ligaments
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, Schooland intracapsular ligaments
chondrocytes within articular cartilage.of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan
Selected Types of synovial joints 2-Pivot
Joints
Read only In a pivot
joint, the
rounded or
pointed
surface of
one bone
articulates
with a ring
formed
partly by
another
bone and
partly by a
1-Hinge Joints
ligament
In a hinge joint, the
convex surface of one bone
fits into the concave surface
of another bone
3-Ball-and-Socket Joints
consists of the ball-like
surface of one bone fitting
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
into a cuplike depression
of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan of another bone
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan
TYPES OF MOVEMENTS AT SYNOVIAL JOINTS
The major movements are:
1-FLEXION
2-EXTENSION
3-ABDUCTION
4-ADDUCTION
5- medial and lateral rotation
5-CIRCUMDUCTION
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan
Flexion, Extension
Flexion and extension are opposite movements.
In flexion
there is a decrease
in the angle between
articulating
bones
in extension (to stretch out)
there is
an increase in the
angle between articulating
bones, often to restore a part of the
body to the anatomical position
after it has been flexed
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan
Abduction, Adduction
Abduction is the movement of a bone away from the midline
adduction is the movement of a bone toward the midline
Examples of abduction include
moving the humerus moving the palm laterally moving the femur laterally
laterally at at the wrist joint at the hip joint
the shoulder joint
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
The movement that returns each ofofthese
Medicne,body
The Uni.parts to the anatomical position is
of Jordan
Rotation
In rotation a bone revolves around its own
longitudinal axis
If the anterior surface of the bone of a
If the anterior surface of a bone of the limb is limb is turned away from the midline, the
turned toward the midline, the movement is movement is called lateral (external)
called medial (internal) rotation
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan
Inversion
is movement of the sole medially at the intertarsal joints (between the tarsals)
Eversion is a movement of the sole laterally at the intertarsal joints.
• Dorsiflexion refers to bending of the foot at the ankle joint
(Dorsiflexion occurs when you stand on your heels.
• Plantar flexion involves bending of the foot at the
ankle joint
as when you elevate your body by standing on your toes.
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan
Supination is a movement of the
forearm at
the proximal and distal radioulnar
joints in which the palm is turned
anteriorly
Pronation is a movement of the
forearm at the
proximal and distal radioulnar
joints in which the palm is turned
posteriorly
Dr. Amja Shatarat, dept.of Anatomy, School
of Medicne, The Uni. of Jordan
