Anatomical terms Flashcards
Anatomical position
- Standing Erect
- Arms by side
- Palms facing forward
- Feet flat on floor
Superior
Toward the head or upper part of a structure (cranial rostral, cephalic)
Inferior
Away from the head or toward the lower part of a structure (caudal)
Anterior
Nearer to or at the front of the body (ventral)
Supine
Body or structure lies anterior side up
Prone
Body or structure lies anterior side down
Pronation
Palm or sole facing posteriorly. Radius rotates around the ulna to bring the palm facing down
Supination
Palm or sole facing anteriorly. Radius rotates around ulna to bring palm facing upwards
Posterior
Nearer to or at the back of the body (dorsal)
Medial
Nearer to the midline of the body or structure
Midline
Imaginary vertical line that divides the body into equal right and left sides
Lateral
Farther from the midline of the body or structure
Intermediate
Between two structures
Proximal
Nearer to the attachment of an extremity to the trunk or a structure nearer to the point of origin
Distal
Father from the attachment of an extremity to the trunk or a structure further from the point of origin
Superficial
Toward or on the surface of the body
Deep
Away from the surface of the body
Sagittal plane
Vertical plane that divides the body into right and left sides
Midsagittal plane
Vertical plane that passes through the midline and divides the body into equal right and left halves
Parasagittal plane
Vertical plane that divides the body into unequal right and left halves
Coronal (frontal) plane
Vertical plane that divides the body into anterior and posterior portions
Horizontal (transverse) plane
Plane that divides the body into superior and inferior portions
Abduction
Movement away from the axis or midline of the body, or one of its parts
Adduction
Movement toward the axis or midline of the body, or one of its parts
Flexion
Folding movement where there is a decrease in the angle between two bones
Extension
Increase in the angle between two bones; restoring a body part to its anatomical position after flexion
Rotation
Movement around a vertical axis (movements of pronation/supination of the forearm)
Plantarflexion
Movement of the foot at the ankle-joint extension
Dorsiflexion
Movement of the foot at the ankle-joint flexion
Inversion
Turning the foot so the sole faces inward or medially
Eversion
Turning the foot so the sole faces outward or laterally
Conventional radiography
- directing x-ray, detecting radiation
2. ability of substance to absorb and scatter x-rays varies with density
Characteristics of conventional radiography
- Air filled structures are radiolucent
- Body fluids and tissues have similar density with fat, slightly more lucent.
- Bone is radio-opaque
- Denser the tissue, the lighter the image on the monitor
Image directions of conventional radiography
- Posterior-anterior projection is where rays pass from posterior to anterior. Anterior-posterior is the opposite.
- Left lateral has rays passing through patient from left to right. Right lateral is the opposite
- Take at least 2 images from different directions
Is the X-ray image more or less distorted the closer the body part is to the X-ray detector? What happens to size appearance?
Less distorted. The farther away from the X-ray detector the larger it appears
Computer assisted tomography (CT)
- Multiple X-ray images rapidly performed
- Computer analyzes to produce images
- More detail than X-rays, but just as potentially harmful
- Use should be minimal (stronger than X rays–CT of chest=150 x-rays (in terms of radiation exposure))
Ultrasonography
- High frequency sound waves reflected by surfaces separating structures from different densities
- No damaging effects
- Images more difficult to interpret
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Uses magnetic field to produce images
- Produces better soft tissue images than CT scan
- No damaging side effects
- Expensive, issues with claustrophobia, some patients can’t have done because of metal
Nuclear medicine imaging
- Radioactive material injected and taken up selectively by different body organs
- Used to evaluate physiological function of organ or structure
Extremity films (number and angles of films taken?)
AP, lateral, oblique
What image generation test would you use to look for gallstones?
Ultrasound! No risk for radiation and the gallstones block the ultrasound, so nothing shows up behind them.
What are some of the greatest uses for ultrasound?
Detecting pregnancy. Gallstones. Deep vein thrombosis. Best way to assess abdominal or pelvic pain in women (good at evaluating uterus and ovaries). Should be considered in checking abdominal pain in children and thin females (not enough fat can make CT hard to read)
Is data able to be manipulated to better read CT after scan completed? MRI?
Yes. CT can be manipulated to view images in more than one plane. MRI cannot. You must get all the planes and images you want with the MRI before finishing the scan.
What test is best for screening brain for acute hemorrhage and mass effect or herniation of the brain?
CT
What is the best test for examining seizure foci or MS?
MRI
What is the best test for ALMOST all abdominal screenings? Including PE, tumor, and interstitial lung disease?
CT
Barium examinations
Antegrade for upper GI. Retrograde for colon. Not done nearly as often anymore, typically just do colonoscopy now or scoped from above to check the upper GI. Contrast used to determine bowel.
PET
Useful in demonstrating metabolic issues in organs that appear physiologically normal. Based on the fact that tumor cells take up more glucose than normal cells. However, inflammation, infection, and healing can also be mistaken for tumor.
