anterior / ventral
is towards the front of the body
posterior / dorsal
body towards the back of the body
superior / cranial
towards the top of the body
inferior / caudal
towards the bottom of the body
medial
is towards the midline
Median
Is in the midline
Lateral
Is away from the midline
Proximal
Is towards the center of the body
Distal
Is away from the center of the body
superficial
near the surface of the body
deep
Away from the body surface; more internal
Ipsilateral
on the same side of the body
Contralateral
on the opposite side of the body
Axial Plane (Transverse Plane)
A horizontal plane; divides the body or any of its parts into superior and inferior
sagittal plane
a vertical plane that divides the body into right and left parts
coronal plane
Vertical plane; divides body into anterior and posterior
erect
standing or sitting upright
Decubitus
lying down
Supine
lying on the back
Trendelenburg position
A patient is laying supine in which the patient's feet and legs are higher than the head
Prone
lying face down
Lateral decubitus
lying down on one side
Flexion
Decreases the angle of a joint
Extension
increases the angle of a joint
Abduction
Movement away from the midline of the body
Adduction
Movement toward the midline of the body
Pronation
movement that turns the palm down (posterior)
Supination
movement that turns the palm up (anterior)
Antero-posterior (AP)
The beam enters the anterior surface of the body and exits the posterior surface (anterior to posterior)
Postero-anterior (PA)
X-ray beam enters posteriorly, perpendicular to the coronal plane, (posterior to anterior)
Lateral
X-ray beams enters laterally, perpendicular to the sagittal plane and parallel to the coronal plane, passes from one side of the body to the other
oblique
X-ray beam enters the body through a plane which is at an angle to the transverse plane/ coronal plane