functional anatomy
The Functional Anatomy of the Spine
Movement of the spine is controlled by muscles that span individual vertebrae and those that control larger sections of the spine. The smaller muscles that cross from one vertebrae to another immediately adjacent, while being active during movement, cannot compete with the larger back muscles and functionally there main role is to stabilise individual vertebral units, in a similar way to the spinal ligaments. The larger muscles will be discussed here.
The Functional Anatomy of the Shoulder
The shoulder positions the hand in space and demonstrates a wider and more varied range of movements than any other structure. Movement at three joints and a mobile base in the scapula allows the arm to move through it's full range.
The clavicle moves forward and backward, up and down, and rotates on it's own axis. Rotation accommodates scapula movement at the outer ranges of abduction while the larger movements position the shoulder at the lateral end of the pectoral girdle.
The Functional Anatomy of the Wrist
Muscles that articulate the wrist
The muscles that articulate the wrist can be broadly grouped according to their action. The flexors originate on the medial epicondyle of the humerus, traverse the inside of the forearm and connect on the carpals of the wrist, the metacarpals of the hand or the phalanges of the fingers and thumb. The extensors originate on the lateral epicondyle of the humerus, run down the back of the forearm and again attach on the carpals, metacarpals or phalanges.
The Functional Anatomy of the Hand
Muscles that articulate the hand
Two groups of muscles articulate the hand. Muscles that originate on the arm and cross the wrist are called extrinsic muscles while those that originate on the hand itself are called intrinsic muscles.
Extrinsic muscles of the hand
It's not as complicated as it may look.
