Anteversion occurs in anatomic nomenclature as an alternative movement term. Many functions in the arm and leg involve this component of motion.
What is anteversion?
Anteversion refers to the raising of the thigh or upper arm from the neutral position. In the hip and shoulder joints, the term anteversion is used as an alternative to the term flexion. It refers to the lifting of the thigh or upper arm from the zero position. While flexion is a term assigned by definition to a specific movement in descriptive anatomy, anteversion describes the sequence and direction. ‘Ante’, from the Latin for ‘front’, ‘forward’, indicates the direction of movement and ‘version’, derived from the Latin ‘versio’ (‘rotation’), describes the type of movement. So, in anteversion, a bone moves forward while rotating, it rotates. Almost all movements of the human body are rotational movements. Usually there is a fixed joint partner with an imaginary axis of rotation around which the mobile rotates. If these movements are purely uniaxial, they can be unambiguously defined on the basis of a movement plane and a movement axis. Accordingly, anteversion takes place in the sagittal plane and about the transverse axis, which in the hip and shoulder joints can be thought of as a transverse line through the joint heads. By adding the directional information, the motion is clearly defined.
Function and task
In addition to purely uniaxial motion, anteversion in the hip and shoulder joints is involved in almost all combination movements that are directed upward. Everyday movements are mostly three-dimensional; one-dimensional patterns are rarely used. In the shoulder joint, anteversion is an important component in all activities that occur within a certain angular range in front of and above the body level. Computer work, for example, contains this element of motion, often combined with slight abduction and internal rotation. Significantly more anteversion is required in overhead activities such as those often found in manual occupations and sports. Typical activities that require anteversion include overhead painting or wallpapering. Bricklayers and stackers are also frequently in this range of motion, often even with weights. Many athletic movements are initiated with a lunging motion. This is the case in volleyball before hitting or blocking, in handball before throwing or defending. Anteversion is a major component in all of these activities. In the hip joint, anteversion is a major component of many functional movements. Locomotion in walking and running is characterized by lifting of the leg in the swing phase, usually accompanied by slight abduction and minor external rotation. While the thigh is only slightly lifted during walking, angular degrees of more than 90° are easily achieved during fast running. In all running sports, a well-functioning anteversion is an enormously important prerequisite for success. This also applies to disciplines that contain sprint elements, such as the run-up in the high jump and long jump. Another functional aspect in which anteversion plays an important role is the preparation of jumping and sprinting activities. In order for the subsequent movement sequence to be optimal, it is more favorable to start from a pre-extended position. This is well observed in sprinters who use the starting block for pre-stretching or in volleyball players before jumping to smash or block. In the squat position, the extensors of the hip joint are extended due to the anteversion position, and the elastic elements are stretched. The potential energy stored in this way can be used for an explosive takeoff or jump. The freedom of movement into anteversion in the hip joint is the prerequisite for everyday actions. It ensures problem-free sitting as well as reaching the deep squat position.
Diseases and complaints
The execution of anteversion can be affected by injuries. These can be bone fractures or muscle strains and tears. The damage itself and pain that occurs cause movements to be performed sparingly or not at all. A typical injury in the hip joint is the femoral neck fracture, which predominantly affects older people and has a massive impact on movement possibilities.A characteristic trauma in the shoulder joint that leads to massive limitations is shoulder dislocation as a result of great force. Lifting the arm often causes problems for quite some time even after the dislocation and further medical care. A number of conditions are capable of impairing and limiting the performance of movements. These include all diseases that are associated with muscle deterioration. In the case of muscular dystrophies, the muscle itself is affected. There is a progressive loss of strength with increasing disability and immobility. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis has a similar effect, but the progressive course is usually much faster and life expectancy is more massively reduced. Other diseases and injuries affect the nervous system. In this case, the muscles no longer receive impulses. They fail completely or partially and atrophy. Typical injuries of this type are paraplegia as a result of spinal cord damage and lesions of peripheral nerves. In all of these impairments, anteversion is affected to a particular degree, since movement in both the hip and shoulder joints is mainly against gravity. Another disease complex that leads to mobility limitation are the degenerative diseases. In the hip joint, osteoarthritis is a common condition in which the articular cartilage is progressively degraded. The result is pain and restrictions on movement and activity. Here, too, the movements that are directed against gravity, such as anteversion, are affected first. The shoulder joint is often affected by a permanent irritation of the structures under the acromion, the impingement syndrome. As a result of the painful irritation, the arm is spared, and upward movements are avoided whenever possible.
