Allied Health 01 Pt B: Anatomical Planes

Anatomical position

standard pos. aka person standing up w/ feet slightly apart & arms at their side

Axial

head, neck, trunk (think “what is off the main axis of body”)

Appendicular

appendages (limbs) attached to axis

What are the directional terms

superior, inferior, anterior, posterior, medical, lateral, proximal, distal, superficial, deep

Superior

(cranial) toward upper part; above

Inferior

(caudal) away from upper part/towards lower part; below

Anterior

(ventral) toward or at front of body; in front ofPo

Posterior

(dorsal) toward or at back of body; behind

Medial

toward or at midline of body; on the inner side

Lateral

away from midline of body; on the outer side

proximal

closer to the point where limb attached to body trunk

distal

(“distance”) farther from point where limb attaches to the body trunk

superficial

(external) toward or at body surface

deep

(internal) away from body surface

sagittal plane

vertical plane that divides body into left & right sections

midsagittal plane

goes through midline

frontal plane

vertical plane that splits body into front & back sections

transverse plane

horizontal plane that splits body into top and bottom sections

prone

when patient is lying head down

supine

when patient is lying face up

importance in medical imaging?

• safe, non-invasive way to see inside body

• help detect diseases early & guide treatments

Anatomical planes

imaginary flat surfaces used to divide the body into sections

• describe location of body parts, injuries, movements, & med imaging