Which term describes turning the forearm so the palm faces superiorly or anteriorly?

• A. Pronation
• B. Supination
• C. Inversion
• D. Eversion

Answer: (B)

Turning the forearm so the palm faces forward (anterior) or upward is supination. In this movement the radius rotates around the ulna so the two bones run parallel, and the palm faces up when the arm is at the side. Supination is the action you perform when you hold a bowl of soup, keeping the hand palm-up. The opposite movement is pronation, where the palm faces backward or downward and the radius crosses over the ulna. Inversion and eversion, by contrast, are movements of the foot at the ankle, turning the sole inward or outward, and don’t describe forearm rotation.