Anatomical Terminology Part One

What is the Anatomical Position used for?

It is used by medical professionals when describing the parts of the body.

What are the components that make up the Anatomical position?

• Standing Upright

• Legs Together (Straight)

• Feet pointing forward

• Arms down at the side

• Palms Facing Forward

• Fingers extended

• Eyes looking Straight ahead

What are the Three planes that the body can be divided into?

• Sagittal Plane

• Transverse Plane

• Frontal Plane

What are the Three body planes used to describe?

• when describing human motion

• taking diagnostic images

• identifying structures

What are the components of the Sagittal Plane?

• Vertical

• Cuts the body into Left and Right portions

What are the components of the Transverse Plane?

• Horizontal

• Cuts the body into Upper and Lower portions

What are the components of the Frontal Plane?

• Vertical

• Cuts the body into Front (Anterior) and Back (Posterior) portions

Why are Directional Terms important and how are they used in Physical Therapy?

• Help relate one structure to another

• Used when describing the impairment and the intervention

What does Anterior and Posterior mean in directional terms?

• Anterior (Ventral) means pertaining to the Front (side of body)

• Posterior (Dorsal) means pertaining to Back

(side of body)

What does Lateral and Medial mean in directional terms?

• Lateral means pertaining to the side (of body)

• Medial means pertaining to the middle (of body)

What does Proximal and Distal mean in directional terms?

• Proximal means closer to the point of attachment

• Distal means further away from the point of attachment

What does Superior and Inferior mean in directional terms?

• Superior pertaining to above

• Inferior pertaining to below

What does Superficial and Deep mean in Directional Terms?

• Superficial means nearer the surface

• Deep means further below from the surface

What does Ventral and Dorsal mean in Directional Terms?

• Dorsal mean pertaining to back (side of the body)

• Ventral means pertaining to belly

What are the key regions of the body relevant to Physical Therapy?

• Cervical

• Vertebral (Thoracic & Lumbar)

• Abdominal

• Axillary

• Brachial

• Femoral

• Gluteal

• Plantar

What are the Four Quadrants of the Abdominopelvic cavity?

• Right Upper Quadrant

• Right Lower Quadrant

• Left Upper Quadrant

• Left Lower Quadrant

What are Organs located in the Right upper Quadrant of the Abdominopelvic Cavity?

• Right Lobe of the Liver

• Right Kidney

• Gallbladder

• Small portion of Pancreas

• Portion of the Small & Large Intestines

What Organs are located in the Left upper Quadrant of the Abdominopelvic Cavity?

• Left Lobe of the Liver

• Left Kidney

• Stomach

• Spleen

• Majority of the Pancreas

• Portion of the Small & Large Intestines

What Organs are located in the Right Lower Quadrant of the Abdominopelvic Cavity?

• Appendix

• Portion of the Small & Large Intestines

What are Organs located in the Left Lower Quadrant of the Abdominopelvic Cavity?

• Sigmoid Colon

• Portion of the Small & Large Intestines

What are the Nine Sections of the Abdominopelvic Cavity?

• Right hypochondriac region

• Epigastric Region

• Left Hypochondriac region

• Right lumbar region

• Umbilical region

• Left lumbar region

• Right iliac region

• Hypogastric region

• Left Ileac region