Dorsal surface-the upper area or top of the foot

Plantar surface-bottom of the foot; weight bearing

Medial—The inside edge of the foot; has the great toe and tibia.

Lateral—outer edge of the foot; smallest toe and fibula side.

Proximal/Distal—used to clarify a location point or the point of attachment.

Proximal-closer to the trunk or bodyDistal-furthest from point of reference

The knee is distal to the hip but proximal to the foot.

Dis

tal

Pro

xim

al

Anterior refers to the front of the body

Posterior refers to the rear or back of the body.The chest is on the anterior portion of the body and the back is on the posterior portion of the body.

Anterior Posterior

AnteriorPosterior

Superior refers to the positioning above or towards the head.

Inferior refers to the positioning below.

Superior

Inferior

Usually used as a reference point for the location of a wound: The ulcer is inferior to the navicular.

Anatomical positions

3 basic planes of motionReferred to as the Cardinal planesDivides the body, as well as the foot, with 3 imaginary lines

Three Cardinal Planes of motion:Sagittal—splits vertically into left and right sectionsFrontal (coronal)—splits vertically into front and back sectionsTransverse—splits into top and bottom sections.

Splits the body into left half and right half.The motion that occurs can only be up and down and at the ankle.Dorsiflexion (upward) and plantar flexion (downward).Approximate “normal” dorsiflexion is 20°/plantarflexion 45°

Dorsiflexion Plantar flexion

Divides the body or parts of the body into anterior and posterior.When referring to the foot and using the plantar surface as a reference point, the motion that occurs is inversion and eversion.

Inversion is turning the plantar surface of the foot toward the body. Range of Motion is normally 20 degrees and only 4-6 degrees is needed for normal gait.Eversion is turning of the plantar surface away from the body. Range of Motion is normally 10 degrees and only 4-6 degrees is needed for normal gait.

Divides the body into upper and lower.Rotation of the foot away from the midline (abduction) or towards the midline (adduction).

Ad-duction Ab-ductionNeutral

Varus is the term for a deformity of bone or bones of the leg or foot. Varus of the foot is where part of the foot or the whole foot is inverted. Varus is a structural deformity while inversion is an anatomical position.

Hallux Varus

Valgus is the term for a deformity of a bone or bones of the leg or foot. Valgus of the foot is where part of the foot or the whole foot is everted.Valgus is a structural deformity while eversion is an anatomical position.

Hallux abducto-valgus

Heel Valgus/Eversion

Pronation is a tri-planar motion consisting of:

Dorsiflexion in the Sagittal PlaneEversion in the Frontal PlaneAbduction in the Transverse Plane

Supination is a tri-planar motion consisting of:

Plantar Flexion in the Sagittal PlaneInversion in the Frontal PlaneAdduction in the Transverse Plane

Unilateral—Affecting either the right side of the body or the left.

Bilateral—Affecting both the right and left sides of the body.

Ambulation—to walk or move about.

Gait—walk

3 arches of a foot:

1). Medial Longitudinal 2.) Lateral Longitudinal 3.) Transverse

Medial LongitudinalLateral Longitudinal

Transverse Arch

Three types of arches:1. Pes Rectus—a foot with a normal arch

2. Pes Planus—flatfoot; a condition in which the arch has not developed normally and is flat.

3. Pes Cavus—a foot with a high arch which does not flatten with weightbearing; weight is generally distributed to the lateral side of the foot.

Instep

BallBall-width of the foot (or sole) near the metatarsal heads

Instep-portion of the foot, or shoe upper, over the midfoot

WaistWaist-measurement located between the ball and instep