Terminology Basic terms of relations • anterior is towards th | Radiologist & Radiographer Library

Terminology
Basic terms of relations
• anterior is towards the front of the body (Latin: before)
• posterior is towards the back of the body (Latin: after)
• superior is towards the top of the body (Latin: above)
• inferior is towards the bottom of the body (Latin: below)
• medial is towards the midline (Latin: middle)
◦ compared with median which is in the midline rather than towards the midline
• lateral is away from the midline (Latin: side)
• proximal is towards the center of the body (Latin: near)
• distal is away from the center of the body (Latin: far)
• superficial is towards the surface of the body
• deep is away from the surface of the body
• ipsilateral is on the same side of the body
• contralateral is on the opposite side of the body
Planes
• the axial plane (transverse or transaxial plane): horizontal plane perpendicular to the long axis of the body
◦ divides the body into superior and inferior parts
• the sagittal plane: vertical plane parallel to the median plane (or midsagittal plane)
◦ divides the body into right half and left halves
• the coronal plane: vertical plane perpendicular to the median plane
◦ divides the body into anterior and posterior parts
Body positions
• erect: either standing or sitting
• decubitus: lying down
• supine: lying on back
• Trendelenburg position: the patient is supine (on an inclined radiographic table) with the head lower than the feet
• prone: lying face-down
• lateral decubitus: lying on one side
◦ right lateral: right side touches the cassette
◦ left lateral: left side touches the cassette
Movement
• flexion: decrease in the angle of the joint
• extension: increase in the angle of the joint
• abduction: movement of limb away from midline
• adduction: movement of limb towards the midline
• pronation: movement of hand and forearm to bring the palm facing posterior
• supination: movement of hand and forearm to bring the palm facing anterior
• circumduction: circular movement of a joint using a combination of flexion, abduction, extension and adduction such that the distal limb describes a circle
• opposition: thumb brought to oppose another digit
• reposition: thumb repositioned back to the anatomic position
• elevation: movement of the scapular superiorly
• depression: movement of the scapular inferiorly
• eversion: movement of the sole of the foot away from the median plane
• inversion: movement of the sole of the foot towards from the median plane
• protrusion: movement of the mandible, lips or tongue anteriorly
• retraction: movement of the mandible, lips or tongue posteriorly
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Projections
• antero-posterior (AP): central ray passes, perpendicular to the coronal plane, from anterior to posterior
• postero-anterior (PA): central ray passes, perpendicular to the coronal plane, from posterior to anterior
◦ depending on the anatomic segment to radiograph, synonyms can be used, for example: occipito-frontal (skull); dorso-ventral (thorax); dorso-palmar (hand)
• lateral: central ray, perpendicular to the sagittal plane and parallel to the coronal plane, passes from one side of body to the other
• oblique: central ray passes through the body/body part through a plane which is at an angle to the transverse plane/coronal plane
• axial: central ray passes through (or parallel) to the long axis of the body
◦ in some cases, however, the central ray runs through (or parallel) to the long axis of the skeletal segment studied (for example, the axial view of the calcaneus)

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