Anatomical Directional Terms

Anatomical Position

• Standard Anatomical Position:
  • Standing upright
  • Head and eyes facing forward
  • Arms at the sides, slightly away from trunk
  • Palms facing forward, thumbs pointing away
  • Legs parallel, feet flat facing forward
  • Right and Left: Refer to the patient's sides
• Purpose: Creates consistent reference points for anatomy terms

Medial and Lateral

• Midline: Imaginary line dividing the body into equal right and left sections
• Medial:
  • Towards the midline/middle of the body
  • Examples: Nose is medial to the eyes
  • Mnemonic: Think of "M" for Medial, Midline, Middle
• Lateral:
  • Away from the midline, towards the side of the body
  • Examples: Eyes are lateral to the nose
  • Mnemonic: "Lats" (side back muscles)

Superior and Inferior

• Transverse Plane: Divides body into upper and lower sections
• Superior (Cranial):
  • Towards the head
  • Examples: Eyes superior to the nose
  • Mnemonic: "S" for Superior and Skull
• Inferior (Caudal):
  • Away from the head, towards the floor
  • Examples: Mouth is inferior to the nose
  • Mnemonic: "F" for Inferior and Floor

Anterior and Posterior

• Coronal Plane: Divides body into front and back sections
• Anterior (Ventral):
  • Towards the front
  • Mnemonic: "A" for Anterior comes before "P" for Posterior
  • Examples: Frontal lobe is anterior to the occipital lobe
• Posterior (Dorsal):
  • Towards the back
  • Mnemonic: Dorsal fin on a fish
  • Examples: Occipital lobe is posterior to the frontal lobe

Proximal and Distal

• Commonly used for extremities/tubular structures
• Proximal:
  • Towards the trunk or point of attachment
  • Examples: Wrist is proximal to hand
  • Mnemonic: "Proximity" means near
• Distal:
  • Away from the trunk or point of attachment
  • Examples: Hand is distal to wrist
  • Mnemonic: "Distant" means far away

Superficial and Deep

• Superficial:
  • Closer to the surface
  • Examples: Skin is superficial to ribs
  • Mnemonic: "S" for Superficial and Surface
• Deep:
  • Away from the surface
  • Examples: Lungs are deep to ribs

Unilateral and Bilateral

• Unilateral:
  • Involves one side of the body
  • Examples: Rash on right arm
  • Mnemonic: "Uni" means one
• Bilateral:
  • Involves both sides of the body
  • Examples: Rash on both arms
  • Mnemonic: "Bi" means two

Ipsilateral and Contralateral

• Ipsilateral:
  • Same side of the body
  • Examples: Laceration and abrasion on same arm
  • Mnemonic: "Ips" means same
• Contralateral:
  • Opposite sides of the body
  • Examples: Laceration on right arm, abrasion on left
  • Mnemonic: "Contra" means opposite

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• Remember: These terms provide a clear and concise way to describe locations and positions in the body.
• Resources: Further notes and images are available on the linked website.