In this anatomy lesson, I’m going to demonstrate inversion and eversion, which are special movements that cause the foot to move relative to the body’s midline.
Inversion of the Foot
During inversion, the bottom of the foot (sole) turns so that it faces toward the body’s midline, in a medial orientation. Inversion starts with the word “in,” so that’s the dead giveaway that the sole is pointing inwardly (medially).
Eversion of the Foot
During eversion, the opposition motion occurs: the bottom of the foot turns so that it faces away from the body’s midline (laterally). The word “evert” literally means to “turn outward,” which is exactly what happens during eversion!
Inversion and Eversion Ankle Sprains
Inversion and eversion body movement terms are commonly used to describe ankle sprains. For example, an inversion ankle sprain means that the foot’s sole turned medially in excess, causing injury to the ligaments on the lateral side of the foot. Eversion ankle sprains have the sole of the foot turning laterally in excess, causing injury to the deltoid ligaments on the medial side.
Inversion vs Eversion Video
Free Quiz and More Anatomy Videos
Take a free inversion vs eversion quiz to test your knowledge, or review our inversion vs eversion video. In addition, you might want to watch our anatomy and physiology lectures on YouTube, or check our anatomy and physiology notes.