| A | B |
|---|
| abduction | Movement of an extremity away from the midline of the body. |
| adduction | Movement of an extremity toward the axis of the body. |
| alignment | Relationship of various body parts to one another. |
| base of support | Area on which an object rests; a stance with feet slightly apart. |
| body mechanics | Physiologic study of the muscular actions and the functions of muscles in maintaining the posture of the body. |
| compartment syndrome | Pathologic condition caused by progressive development of arterial compression and reduced blood supply to n extremity. Increased pressure from external devices (casts, bulky dressings) causes decreased blood flow, resulting in ischemic tissue necrosis; most often occurs in the extremities. |
| contracture | Abnormal, usually permanent condition of a joint characterized by flexion and fixation and caused by atrophy and shortening of muscle fibers. |
| dorsal (supine) | Lying horizontally on the back. |
| dorsal recumbent | Supine position with patient lying on the back, with head, shoulders, and extremities moderately lexed and legs extended. |
| dorsiflexion | Bending or flexing backward, as in upward bending of the fingers, wrist, foot, or toes. |
| extension | Movement allowed by certain joints of the skeleton that increases the angle between two adjoining bones. |
| flexion | Movement of certain joints that decreases the angle between two adjoining bones. |
| Fowler's | Posture assumed by the patient when head of the bed is raised 45 to 60 degrees. |
| genupectoral | Patient kneels so weight of body is supported by knees and chest. |
| hyperextension | Position of maximum extension; extreme or abnormal stretching. |
| immobility | Inability to move around freely, caused by any condition in which movement is impaired or therapeutically restricted. |
| joint | Any one of the connections between bones. |
| lithotomy position | Position assumed by the patient lying supine with the hips and knees flexed and the thighs abducted and rotated externally. |
| mobility | A person's ability to move around freely in his or her environment. |
| orthopneic | Pertaining to the posture assumed by the patient sitting up in bed at a 90-degree angle; patient may also lean forward supported by a pillow or over a bed table. |
| physical disuse syndrome | A state in which an individual is at risk for deterioration of body systems as the result of prescribed or unavoidable inactivity. |
| pronation | Palm of the hand turned down. |
| prone | Lying face down on the abdomen. |
| range-of-motion (ROM) | Normal movement that any given joint is capable of making. Any body action involving the muscles, joints, and natural directional movements. |
| semi-Fowler's | The position a patient assumes while lying in bed; the head of the bed is raised to about 30 degrees, and the foot of the bed is raised slightly. |
| Sim's | Lying on the left side with the right knee and thigh drawn upward toward the ches; the chest and abdomen are allowed to fall forward. |
| supination | Kind of rotation that allows the palm of the hand to turn up. |
| Trendelenburg | A position in which the patient is lying supine with the head lower than the body with body and legs elevated and on an incline. |
