Anatomical Positions, Directions and Planes

Tuesday 28 June 2011 | VASSANTHAN.M at 23:11 |

Anatomical Position
standing erect, facing forward, upper limbs at the sides, palms facing forward. Despite definition, the term also applies when lying or sitting. see diagram below..

Fig:Anatomical Position ( http://dracrocker.com)

Anatomical Directional Terms:

1. Anterior - Towards the front.

 

2. Posterior (Dorsal) - Towards the back.

3. Superior (Cephalic) - Towards the head.

 

4. Inferior (Caudal) - Towards the feet.

5. Proximal - Nearest; closer to any point of reference. The elbow is proximal

to the wrist on the upper extremity.

6. Distal - Remote; farther from any point of reference. The elbow is distal

to the shoulder joint.
 

7. M. Lateral - A point or area that is more distant from the midsagittal or median

plane.

8. N.Medial - A point or area that is closer to the midsagittal plane than another

point