Anatomical
PositionS
Group 1 | BSES - 1A
learning
outcomes
Identify anatomical, reference positions,
directional, and movement terms;
Demonstrate anatomical positions used
to reference to the body;
Distinguish between the commonly used
reference positions and recognize their
individual views; and
Apply directional and movement terms
to their location on the human body.
Main Anatomical and Reference
Positions, Directional and
Movement Terms
anatomical position
Standard Anatomical Position
The human body’s specific orientation
which consists of standing upright and
facing forward with the legs parallel to
one another. The upper limbs or arms
hang at either side and the palms
facing forward.
4 Main Anatomical Positions
SUPINE POSITION
The body is lying flat instead of standing upright,
with the same positioning of the limbs.
4 Main Anatomical Positions
PRONE POSITION
The body lies flat with the chest down
and the back up.
4 Main Anatomical Positions
RIGHT LATERAL RECUMBENT (RLR)
means the person in is lying on their
right side.
4 Main Anatomical Positions
LEFT LATERAL RECUMBENT (LLR)
means that the person is lying on the
left side.
ANATOMICAL REFERENCE POSiTIONS
1. Coronal or Frontal Plane - a
vertical plane running from side to
Po
side dividing the body or any of its
ste parts into anterior and posterior
rio
r eft
L portions.
ht
Rig 2. Sagittal Plane or Lateral Plane - a
An
ter
ior vertical plane running from front to
back dividing the body or any of its
parts into right and left sides.
ANATOMICAL REFERENCE POSiTIONS
Median 3. Transverse Plane or Axial Plane -
a horizontal plane that divides the
Upper
body into cranial (head) upper and
caudal (tail) lower portions.
4. Median Plane - sagittal plane
through the midline of the body
dividing the body or any of its parts
into right and left halves.
Lower
DIRECTIONAL TERMS R L
describe the positions of structures
relative to other structures or Superior
locations in the body. Cranial
Skull
1. Superior or cranial - toward the
head end of the body; upper
(example, the hand is part of the Inferior
superior extremity). Caudal
Floor
2. Inferior or caudal - away from
the head; lower (example, the foot
is part of the inferior extremity)
DIRECTIONAL TERMS
3. Anterior or ventral - front (example,
Anterior the kneecap is located on the anterior
Ventral
Ventriloquist
side of the leg).
4. Posterior or dorsal - back (example,
the shoulder blades are located on the
posterior side of the body).
Posterior
Dorsal
Anterior = Front; Toward Posterior = Back; Toward
the front of the body the back of the body
Anterior = "A" = Front Posterior = "P" = Back
A comes before P
DIRECTIONAL TERMS
5. Medial - Toward the Midline
midline or middle of the body
Medial = Midline or Middle R L
Medial
6. Lateral - Towards the side of
the body
Lateral = "Lats" (side muscles)
Midline - Imaginary line down Lateral
the middle of the body
Midline = Middle
DIRECTIONAL TERMS
R L Ankle is proximal to the
Foot. 7. Proximal - toward or nearest the
Knee is proximal to the trunk or the point of origin of a
Ankle.
part (example, the proximal end
Hip is proximal to the ).
Knee. of femur joins with the pelvic bone
8. Distal - away from or farthest
Knee is distal to the
Hip.
from the trunk or the point of
Ankle is distal to the origin of a part (example, the
Knee. hand is located at the distal end
Foot is distal to the of the forearm).
Ankle.
Anatomical Movement Terms
A. Flexion and Extension
Flexion Flexion - means bending.
Usually, in most joints, flexion is
Extension bending anteriorly except in the
knee joint where flexion is
bending posteriorly.
Flexion
Extension - means
straightening; increases the
Extension angle between two body parts.
Anatomical Movement Terms
B. Abduction and Adduction
Abduction - means the
movements away from the
median plane. Abduction
Adduction - means
movements towards the
median plane.
Extension
Anatomical Movement Terms
Circumdation
Rotation
Circumdation - a circular movement which
includes the previous movements (flexion,
abduction, extension, and adduction). This
only occurs in a few joints such as the
shoulder and the hip joint.
Rotation - the movement around the long
axis of the bone
Anatomical Movement Terms
Circumdation
1. Lateral rotation - where the anterior
Lateral
surface of the bone faces laterally, i.e. the Rotation
body part is rotated away from the
midline. Medial
Rotation
2. Medial Rotation - where the anterior
surface if the bone faces medially, i.e. the
body part is rotated towards the midline.
Anatomical Movement Terms
C. Supination and Pronation
Pronate Supinate Supination - is the normal resting
Rotates Rotates
in/down out/up position of the forearm, where the palm
of the hand faces forwards, the radius
and the ulna are parallel and the thumb
is lateral.
Pronation -is opposite to supination,
that is the palm of the hand faces
backwards, the radius and the ulna are
crossed and the thumb is medial
Anatomical Movement Terms
D. Inversion and Eversion
Inversion - movement occurs
only in the feet where the
plantar surface of the foot
faces medially/inward.
Eversion - is opposite to
inversion, where the plantar
surface of the foot faces
laterally/outward. Inversion Eversion
Thank You For
your attention
