Anatomical Positions
Standard Anatomical Position: Facing forward, feet flat, arms out, palms facing forward.
Prone: Lying on the stomach, often used for neck and spinal surgeries.
Supine: Lying on the back, easy to remember as "you're on your spine".
Trendelenburg: The table or bed is tilted so the head is lower than the feet, usually used as an emergency treatment for hypotension or shock.
Fowler’s: Sitting position with three variations:
Low Fowler’s: 30-degree angle.
Fowler’s: 45-degree angle.
High Fowler’s: 90-degree angle.
Directional Terms
Anterior/Ventral: Toward the front.
Posterior/Dorsal: Toward the back.
Cranial: Toward the head.
Caudal: Toward the tail end.
Superior: Above or toward the top.
Inferior: Below or toward the bottom.
Medial: Toward the middle.
Lateral: Toward the side.
Proximal: Closest to the point of attachment.
Distal: Farthest from the point of attachment.
Superficial: On the surface.
Deep: Inside.
Body Planes
Imaginary lines that divide the body:
Sagittal Plane: Divides the body side to side.
Frontal (Coronal) Plane: Divides the body front and back.
Transverse Plane: Divides the body top and bottom.
Body Cavities
Ventral (Front) Cavities:
Thoracic: Contains heart, lungs, bronchi, trachea, esophagus, thymus.
Abdominal: Contains stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, large and small intestines, appendix.
Pelvic: Contains urinary bladder, reproductive organs, rectum.
Abdominopelvic: Combined abdominal and pelvic cavities.
Dorsal (Back) Cavities:
Cranial: Contains brain.
Spinal: Contains spinal cord.
Abdominal Quadrants
Four subdivisions of the abdomen using the navel as a landmark:
Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ): Liver, stomach, gallbladder, duodenum, right kidney, pancreas, right adrenal gland.
Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ): Appendix, reproductive organs, right ureter.
Left Upper Quadrant (LUQ): Liver, stomach, pancreas, left kidney, spleen, left adrenal gland.
Left Lower Quadrant (LLQ): Left ureter, reproductive organs.
Abdominal Pelvic Regions
Right and Left Columns:
Hypochondriac Regions (Left and Right): Below the cartilage of the ribs.
Lumbar Regions (Left and Right): Near the lower back vertebrae.
Iliac Regions (Left and Right): Near the iliac crest of the hip bone.
Middle Column:
Epigastric Region: Above the stomach.
Umbilical Region: Contains the navel (umbilicus).
Hypogastric Region: Below the stomach.
Hector Loves Isabel Every Unceasing Hour.