What is the term for the bending of a joint?

The term for the bending of a joint is known as flexion. This movement involves decreasing the angle between two body parts, typically at a hinge joint such as the elbow or knee. When a joint is flexed, such as when you bend your arm at the elbow to bring your hand closer to your shoulder, the angle between the forearm and upper arm decreases. Flexion is a fundamental movement in human anatomy and is crucial in a variety of daily activities and physical actions.

Other movements, such as extension, involve increasing the angle at a joint, while rotation refers to the circular movement of a limb around its axis. Abduction describes moving a body part away from the midline of the body. Understanding these terms is essential for EMTs to accurately assess and describe the range of motion of injured joints during patient evaluations.