Minimum Of 100 Words.

The activity I am selecting for this discussion is brushing my teeth. This is a daily activity that everyone must do.  On a broad scales when performing the motion necessary to brush your teeth, you utilize your elbow, wrist and hand.  Looking below the surface however is to show what muscles and joints are being used to accomplish this feat.  First, to reach for your toothbrush requires extension of the elbow joint.  The muscle used in this action is the extension digiti minimi muscle, next would be to grab the toothbrush and this requires the activation of the flexor tendon and the flexor pollicis brevis, thenor muscles, and opponens pollicis to allow the grabbing movement to take place.  The same movement is required to squeeze the toothpaste from the tube.  Next is the movement to bring the toothbrush back to the mouth which requires the flexor carpi radialis muscle that allows the bending of the arm at the elbow.  Finally the motion that allows the up and down movement of brushing the teeth requires upward rotation and retraction of the scapula as well as abduction, horizontal adduction and horizontal abduction of the shoulder, flexion and extension of the flexor digitorium superficialis which controls the movement of the wrist.

The elbow is considered a uniaxial hinge joint and it only allows flexion and extension (Lippert, L.) .  This joint is put to use daily with the process of brushing your teeth, because in order to reach for your toothbrush and apply toothpaste onto it your elbow joint has to extend.  In order for you to actually brush your teeth you must flex the elbow joint to bring the toothbrush to your mouth.  These are the only two movements that this joint allows.