Planes Of Motion & Axes Of Rotation & Practice
Frontal or coronal plane
Divides body into anterior and posterior halves. Front and back. Used with abduction and adduction. Ex: jumping jacks
Sagittal plane
Divides body into bilateral segments. Left and right half. Used with flexion and extension. Ex: sit up, knee extension, bicep curls.
Transverse plane
Divides body into superior and inferior halves when the person is in anatomical position. Used during rotation. Ex: spinal rotation to left or right
Name the plane and axis. Ankle inversion.
Frontal plane Sagittal axis
Name the plane and axis. Cervical (neck) lateral flexion.
Frontal plane Sagittal axis
Name the plane and axis. Hip adduction.
Frontal plane Sagittal axis
Name the plane and axis. Scapular depression.
Frontal plane Sagittal axis
Name the plane and axis. Scapular elevation
Frontal plane Sagittal axis
Name the plane and axis. Scapular upward or downward rotation.
Frontal plane Sagittal axis
Name the plane and axis. Shoulder abduction.
Frontal plane Sagittal axis
Name the plane and axis. Wrist abduction/radio deviation/flexion.
Frontal plane Sagittal axis
Name the plane and axis. Wrist adduction/ ulnar deviation/flexion.
Frontal plane Sagittal axis
Name the plane and axis. Ankle eversion.
Frontal plane Sagittal axis
Name the plane and axis. Hip abduction.
Frontal plane Sagittal axis
Name the plane and axis. Lumbar lateral flexion
Frontal plane Sagittal axis
Name the plane and axis. Shoulder adduction.
Frontal plane Sagittal axis
Saggital axis
Has same orientation as Sagittal plane of motion and runs from front to back at a right angle to frontal plane of motion. Runs anterior/ posterior. Commonly includes abduction and adduction movements
Frontal axis
Has same orientation as frontal plane of motion and runs from side to side at a right angle to saggital plane of motion. Runs medial/ lateral. Commonly includes flexion and extension movements
Axes of rotation
Is a straight line around which an object rotates. The axes are named in relation to their orientation. The 4 axes of rotation are frontal, Sagittal, vertical or longitudinal, and diagonal or oblique.
Diagonal or oblique axis
Runs at and right angle to the diagonal plane
Vertical or longitudinal axis
Runs straight down through top of the head and is a right angle to the transverse plane of motion. Runs superior/ inferior. Commonly includes internal rotation, external rotation movements.
Elbow extension
Sagittal plane Frontal axis
Name the plane and axis. Ankle dorsiflexion.
Sagittal plane Frontal axis
Name the plane and axis. Ankle plantar flexion.
Sagittal plane Frontal axis
Name the plane and axis. Cervical (neck) flexion
Sagittal plane Frontal axis
Name the plane and axis. Hip extension.
Sagittal plane Frontal axis
Name the plane and axis. Hip flexion.
Sagittal plane Frontal axis
Name the plane and axis. Knee extension
Sagittal plane Frontal axis
Name the plane and axis. Knee flexion.
Sagittal plane Frontal axis
Name the plane and axis. Lumbar (trunk) extension.
Sagittal plane Frontal axis
Name the plane and axis. Shoulder extension.
Sagittal plane Frontal axis
Name the plane and axis. Shoulder flexion.
Sagittal plane Frontal axis
Name the plane and axis. Wrist extension.
Sagittal plane Frontal axis
Name the plane and axis. Wrist flexion.
Sagittal plane Frontal axis
Name the plane and axis. Cervical (neck) extension.
Sagittal plane Frontal axis
Name the plane and axis. Elbow flexion.
Sagittal plane Frontal axis
Name the plane and axis. Lumbar (trunk) flexion.
Sagittal plane Frontal axus
Name the plane and axis. Cervical (neck) rotation.
Transverse plane Vertical axis
Name the plane and axis. Knee external (lateral) rotation.
Transverse plane Vertical axis
Name the plane and axis. Knee unternal (medial) rotation.
Transverse plane Vertical axis
Name the plane and axis. Lumbar rotation.
Transverse plane Vertical axis
Name the plane and axis. Radioulnar pronation.
Transverse plane Vertical axis
Name the plane and axis. Scapular adduction or retraction.
Transverse plane Vertical axis
Name the plane and axis. Shoulder adduction.
Transverse plane Vertical axis
Name the plane and axis. Shoulder external (lateral) rotation
Transverse plane Vertical axis
Name the plane and axis. Shoulder horizontal abduction.
Transverse plane Vertical axis
Name the plane and axis. hip external (lateral) rotation.
Transverse plane Vertical axis
Name the plane and axis. Hip internal (medial) rotation.
Transverse plane Vertical axis
Name the plane and axis. Radioulnar supination.
Transverse plane Vertical axis
Name the plane and axis. Shoulder internal (medial) rotation.
Transverse plane Vertical axis
Low diagonal diagonal
Upper limbs at shoulder joint. Underhand skills. Ex: discus thrower or Racquet sports. OR lower limbs at hip joint. Ex: kickers or punters
High diagonal plane
Upper limbs at shoulder joints. Overhand skills. Ex: baseball pitch