In this anatomy quiz, you can test your knowledge of flexion and extension, which are special body movement terms used in anatomy. Nurses and other healthcare professionals use these terms when assessing patients or documenting.
Before taking this quiz on flexion and extension, you might want to review our flexion and extension anatomy notes. In addition, you might want to view our flexion vs extension video on these anatomy body movement terms (coming soon).
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1. Which statement describes flexion?
a. Movement that increases the angle between two structures, causing the structures to straighten or move apart
b. Movement that decreases the angle between two structures, causing the structures to bend or move closer together
c. Flexing a muscle
d. Relaxing a muscle
The answer is b. Flexion is a body movement term that decreases the angle between two structures, resulting in the structures bending or moving closer together.
2. Which statement describes extension?
a. Movement that increases the angle between two structures, causing the structures to straighten or move apart
b. Movement that decreases the angle between two structures, causing the structures to bend or move closer together
c. Flexing a muscle
d. Relaxing a muscle
The answer is a. Extension is a body movement term that describes a decrease in the angle between two structures, causing them to move apart or straighten.
3. Anatomists classify flexion and extension as what type of movements?
a. Gliding
b. Rotational
c. Special
d. Angular
The answer is d, angular movements. Remember, flexion and extension are increasing or decreasing the angle between the joint or structures.
4. Flexion and extension most commonly take place within which body plane?
a. The frontal plane
b. An oblique plane
c. The sagittal plane
d. The transverse plane
The answer is c, the sagittal plane. Flexion and extension are often taking place within (or parallel to) the sagittal plane. There are some exceptions, however. Flexion and extension of the thumb or lateral flexion and extension of the spine are examples of flexion and extension taking place within the frontal plane.
5. When the arms move anteriorly (to the front), which movement has occurred?
a. Extension
b. Flexion
c. Rotation
d. Abduction
The answer is b, flexion. Flexion sees the arms moving anteriorly, while extension has the arms returning to the anatomical position (or moving posteriorly beyond it).
6. When the knee straightens so that the tibia bone moves away from the femur bone at an increasing angle, which movement occurs?
a. Extension
b. Flexion
c. Adduction
d. Rotation
The answer is a, extension. Remember, extension sees the angle increasing between two bones or structures, often creating a straightening movement.
7. Which term describes bending of the spine to the left or right?
a. Lateral extension
b. Lateral flexion
c. Anterior flexion
d. Posterior extension
The answer is b, lateral flexion. As the spine straightens back out, it is called lateral extension.
8. Bending of the fingers toward the palm is an example of which movement?
a. Extension
b. Flexion
c. Adduction
d. Abduction
The answer is b, flexion. Flexion usually involves a bending motion, whereas extension is more of a straightening motion.
9. Flexion for the thumb (pollex) involves what movement?
a. Movement of the thumb toward the pinky within the frontal plane
b. Movement of the thumb toward the palm in within the sagittal plane
c. None of the above
d. Both a and b
The answer is a. Flexion for the thumb has it moving toward the pinky, and the movement takes place within the frontal plane, not the sagittal plane like most other movements of flexion and extension.
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