Anatomical Position and Body Planes

Definition of Anatomical Position

• Anatomical Position: Standard position for anatomical references.
  • Standing upright
  • Face forward
  • Palms facing forward
  • Arms to the side
  • Symmetrical midline

Body Planes

• Sagittal Plane: Divides body into left and right.
  • Midsagittal/Median Plane: Specific sagittal plane at the body's midline.
• Transverse Plane: Horizontal cut dividing body into upper and lower parts.
• Coronal/Frontal Plane: Divides body into front (anterior) and back (posterior).

Anatomical Terms of Direction

• Anterior vs Posterior
  • Anterior: Front of the body (e.g., sternum is anterior to the spinal column).
  • Posterior: Back of the body.
• Superior vs Inferior
  • Superior: Above or higher (e.g., head is superior to feet).
  • Inferior: Below or lower (e.g., feet are inferior to head).
• Proximal vs Distal
  • Proximal: Closer to the trunk (e.g., shoulder is proximal to wrist).
  • Distal: Further from the trunk.
• Medial vs Lateral
  • Medial: Closer to the midline.
  • Lateral: Further from the midline.

Memory Aids

• Superior: Think of a boss, someone above you.
• Inferior: Below, less than.
• Proximal: Close, like approximate time.
• Distal: Distant or far.
• Medial: Middle or medium.

Body Cavities

Major Cavities

• Dorsal Cavity: Posterior side, contains cranial and spinal cavities.
  • Cranial cavity: Contains brain.
  • Spinal cavity: Contains spinal cord.
• Ventral Cavity: Anterior side, contains thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities.
  • Thoracic cavity: Contains heart (mediastinum) and lungs (pleural cavities).
  • Abdominopelvic cavity: Split into abdominal and pelvic cavities.

Cavity Characteristics

• Diaphragm: Separates thoracic cavity from abdominopelvic cavity.

Regions of the Abdomen

Nine Regions

• Right Hypochondriac: Below rib cartilage on the right.
• Left Hypochondriac: Below rib cartilage on the left.
• Epigastric: Above the stomach.
• Umbilical: Around the belly button.
• Hypogastric: Below the stomach.
• Right and Left Iliac/Inguinal: Near the hip bones, adjacent to groin.
• Right and Left Lumbar: Near the small of the back.

Quadrants

• Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ): Contains liver.
• Left Upper Quadrant (LUQ): Contains stomach.
• Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ): Contains intestines and appendix.
• Left Lower Quadrant (LLQ): Contains intestines.

Important Considerations

• Patient's right side is viewer's left and vice versa.
• Quadrants simplify communication regarding abdominal pain.

Use these anatomical terms and positions to understand and communicate about the human body effectively. Practice regularly to become familiar with these concepts.