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Directional Terms
| Term | Definition | example |
|---|---|---|
| superior | above or on top of | the nose is superior to the mouth |
| inferior | below | feet are inferior to knees |
| cephalic / cephalad | towards the head | the head is cephalic to the shoulders |
| caudal / caudad | toward the tail | the hips are caudal to the shoulders |
| anterior | toward the front or before | the sternum is anterior to the vertebrae |
| posterior | toward the back or behind | the calf muscles are posterior to the shin |
| ventral | refers to the belly; another way of saying anterior | the belly button is on the ventral surface of the trunk |
| dorsal | refers to back; another way of saying posterior | the gluteal muscles are on the dorsal side of the body |
| proximal | closer to the attachment point | the shoulder is proximal to the elbow |
| distal | aways from the attachment point | the foot is distal to the knee |
| medial | toward the midline of the body or organ | the inner leg bone is on the medial side of the leg |
| lateral | away from the midline of the body or organ | the ears are lateral to the nose |
| frontal plane | vertical field passing through the body, dividing the body into anterior and posterior portions | abduction and adduction occur in the frontal plane |
| coronal plane | alternate reference to the frontal plane, dividing the body into anterior and posterior portions | abduction and adduction occur in the coronal plane |
| sagittal plane | vertical field running through the body, dividing the body into right and left sides. | flexion and extension occur in the sagittal plane |
| transverse plane | horizontal field dividing the body into superior and inferior portions | head rotation, external, and internal rotation occur in the transverse plane |
| Fowler's position | positioning of a client in bed with head elevated | when eating in bed, a client is most often comfortable in a Fowler's position |
| Trendelenberg position | positioning of a client in supine with feet elevated above the head | with excess blood loss or shock, a client should be positioned in a Trendelenberg position |
| orthopneic position | positioning of a client leaning or resting with head and shoulders forward | when having difficulty catching his breath, a client should sit in an orthopneic position |
| Sims' position | side-lying position with both hips/knees bent, with the top hip bent more, often supported with pillows | when pregnant, a woman may feel most comfortable sleeping in a Sims' position |
| supine | on the back | snoring may increase when sleeping in supine |
| prone | on the belly | newborns should not be left alone in a prone position |
| erect | standing upright | |
| sidelying | positioning of a client on his or her side | |
| flexing | bending at a joint | |
| extension | straightening at a joint | |
| abduction | moving away from the center of the body | |
| adduction | moving toward the center of the body | |
| supination | moving upward or anteriorly | holding a bowl of soup |
| pronation | moving downward or posteriorly | dropping a bowl of soup |
| rotation | rolling a part on its axis | looking side to side requires this movement |
| external rotation | rotation away from the body's midline | |
| internal rotation | rotation towards the body's midline | |
| eversion | movement of the sole of the foot away from midline; also known as pronation | |
| inversion | movement of the sole of the foot towards midline; also known as supination | |
| dorsiflexion | flexing toes up towards the shin | |
| plantarflexion | pointing toes |
Created by:
boxlady
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