Directional Terms Flashcards
Front of body
Anterior
Back of body
Posterior
Top, closest to the head
Superior, or cephalad
Bottom, closest to the feet
Inferior, or caudad (toward the tail)
Close to the point of attachment
Proximal
Farthest from the point of attachment
Distal
Close to midline
Medial
Away from midline
Lateral
Far from the skin surface
Deep
Close to the skin surface
Superficial
Front surface of hand
Palmar
Bottom surface of foot
Plantar
Tip of a structure
Apex
Decrease angle of a joint
Flexion
Increase angle of a joint
Extension
Appears on both sides of
Bilateral
Appears on one side
Unilateral
To lie face down
Prone
To lie face up
Supine
To sit at 90 degrees
Fowler position
To sit at 45 degrees
Semi-fowler position
To lie on the right side of the body
Right lateral recumbent
To lie on the left side of the body
Left lateral recumbent.
An imaginary vertical line drawn from the middle of the forehead through the nose and the umbilicus (navel) to the floor, dividing the body into equal left and right halves.
Mid-sagittal line
Plane that divides body into top and bottom portions
Transverse plane or horizontal plane
Plane that divides body into right and left halves, but is not necessarily equal
Sagittal plane
Plane that divides body into front and back portions
Coronal plane
The position of reference in which the patient stands facing forward, arms at the side, with the palms of the hands forward.
Anatomical position
