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/suÂ·piÂ·naÂ·tion/ (sooâ³pÄ­-naÂ´shun) [L. supinatio ] the act of assuming the supine position, or the state of being supine. Applied to the hand, the act of turning the palm forward (anteriorly) or upward, performed by lateral rotation of the forearm. Applied to the foot, it generally implies movements resulting in raising of the medial margin of the foot, hence of the longitudinal arch.
The upward motion is dorsiflexion and the downward motion is plantar flexion. The normal upward movement is approximately 70 degrees and the downward movement is about 25 degrees. You need at least 60 degrees of upward movement of the big toe joint to prevent limping.