Medical Position (Examples)

Anatomical position

Standing straight, palms forward, feet forward.

Criteria for anatomical position

Like a statue pose in science diagrams.

Frontal (coronal) plane

Jumping jacks move in this plane.

Sagittal plane

Walking or bicep curls happen in this plane.

Midsagittal plane

Splits body evenly; nose and belly button lie along this plane.

Transverse plane

Twisting at the waist, like swinging a bat.

Medial

Big toe is medial to the little toe.

Lateral

Little toe is lateral to the big toe.

Superficial

Skin is superficial to muscle.

Deep

Bones are deep to muscles.

Superior (cranial)

Head is superior to the chest.

Inferior (caudal)

Stomach is inferior to the heart.

Anterior (ventral)

Nose is anterior to the ears.

Posterior (dorsal)

Spine is posterior to the stomach.

Proximal

Elbow is proximal to the wrist.

Distal

Fingers are distal to the elbow.

Abduction

Raising arms or legs out to the side.

Adduction

Bringing arms or legs back to your sides.

Prone

Lying on stomach for a massage.

Supine

Lying on back looking at the ceiling.

Flexion

Bending the knee in a squat.

Extension

Straightening your arm after a curl.