Med Terms Ch3: Directional Terms, Planes, Positions, Regions, and Quadrants

caudad

toward the tail (or the inferior portion of the trunk; downward)

cephalad

toward the head (upward)

lateral (lat)

pertaining to the side

medial (med)

pertaining to the middle

unilateral

pertaining to one side (only)

bilateral

pertaining to two sides

mediolateral

pertaining to the middle and to the side

distal

pertaining to away (from the point of attachment of a body part)

proximal

pertaining to near (to the point of attachment of a body part)

inferior (inf)

pertaining to below

superior (sup)

pertaining to above

caudal

pertaining to the tail (synonymous with inferior in human anatomy when specifying location in the trunk of the body)

cephalic

pertaining to the head

anterior (ant)

pertaining to the front

posterior

pertaining to the back

dorsal

pertaining to the back

ventral

pertaining to the belly (front)

anteroposterior (AP)

pertaining to the front and to the back

posteroanterior (PA)

pertaining to the back and to the front

frontal or coronal

vertical plane passing through the body from side to side, dividing the body into anterior and posterior portions

midsagittal

vertical plane passing through the body from front to back at the midline, dividing the body equally into right and left halves

parasagittal

vertical plane passing through the body from front to back, dividing the body into unequal left and right sides

sagittal

vertical plane passing through the body from front to back, dividing the body into right and left sides (any plane parallel to the midsagittal plane)

transverse

horizontal plane dividing the body into superior and inferior portions

Fowler position

semi-sitting position with slight elevation of the knees

lithotomy position

lying on back with legs raised and feet in stirrups, hips and knees flexed, thighs abducted and externally rotated

orthopnea position

sitting erect in a chair or sitting upright in bed supported by pillows behind the head and chest

prone position

lying on abdomen, facing downward (head may be turned to one side)

recumbent position

lying down in any position

Sims position

lying on left side with right knee drawn up and with left arm drawn behind, parallel to the back

supine position

lying on back, facing upward

Trendelenburg position

lying on back with body tilted so that the head is lower than the feet

umbilical region

around the navel (umbilicus)

lumbar regions

to the right and left of the umbilical region, near the waist

epigastric region

superior to the umbilical region

hypochondriac regions

to the right and left of the epigastric region

hypogastric region

inferior to the umbilical region

iliac regions

to the right and left of the hypogastric region, near the groin

right upper quadrant (RUQ)

refers to the area encompassing the right lobe of the liver, the gallbladder, medial portion of the pancreas, and portions of the small and large intestines

left upper quadrant (LUQ)

refers to the area encompassing the left lobe of the liver, the stomach, the spleen, lateral portion of the pancreas, and portions of the small and large intestines

right lower quadrant (RLQ)

refers to the area encompassing portions of the small and large intestines, the appendix, the right ureter, and the right ovary and uterine tube in women or the right spermatic duct in men

left lower quadrant (LLQ)

refers to the area encompassing portions of the small and large intestines, the left ureter, and the left ovary and uterine tube in women or the left spermatic duct in men