Osteokinematics

Original Editor - Lucinda hampton

Top Contributors - Lucinda hampton and Uchechukwu Chukwuemeka  

Introduction

Osteokinematics describes clear movements of bones which are visible from the outside. They are the gross movement that happens between two bones. They arise from rotation around the joint axis.

Image 1: Movement in the frontal plane about the sagittal axis

Some examples are:

• Flexion and extension
• Abduction and adduction
• Lateral rotation and medial rotation

Osteokinematics differs from arthrokinematics. In general Osteokinematics means bone movement and Arthrokinematics joint movement ( represents the small movements happening at the joint surface itself. Movements are rolls, glides/slides, and spins).

The video below gives a good 2 minute outline.

Application

Why we need to be aware of osteokinematics on daily basis?

For Physiotherapists it is critical to understand the movements for every joint in the human body and to know appropriate ranges in different planes of motion.

Our daily job is to evaluate our athletes or clients, how they move, how they create movement patterns. eg If a competing snow boarders ankle has lost range of dorsi-flexion we need to be aware: of optimal flexion/dorsi-flexion ranges in sagittal plane; how to assess this ranges; what alterations from normal the client has; interventions on how to solve problems.

• Osteokinematics is something we need to be aware of in our athletes before the main part of the training starts, before we start to load the body with high intensity. Does everything move correctly today? Is this person ready to “go hard” from the structural and positional standpoint?
• Arthokinematics, on the other hand, are especially important during training, and you need observe when clients start to lose efficiency with this small unnecessary extra movements at the joint area.