Anatomical terminology
The shared language of anatomy: the reference position, the three planes and the terms of direction (medial, lateral, proximal, distal, cranial, caudal, ventral, dorsal…), to place any structure without ambiguity.
- 36 cards
- 3 topics
- Free
The outline, topic by topic
Each topic is weighted the way the exam weighs it.
- Concepts
- Scenarios
- Understand
A few cards from the deck
Anatomical position: what is it?
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Standing, facing the observer, eyes level, upper limbs by the sides with palms forward, feet together.
Every term of direction refers to it, whatever the patient's actual posture.
Relative to the wrist, the elbow is…
- Proximal
- Distal
- Medial
- Caudal
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Proximal
The elbow is closer to the root of the limb, the shoulder.
Sagittal plane: what is it?
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A vertical front-to-back plane that separates a right part from a left part.
The median sagittal plane runs exactly down the middle; the parallel ones are called parasagittal.
A patient lies face down. Is their spine still 'posterior'?
- Yes: the terms always refer to the anatomical position
- No: it becomes superior, since it faces the ceiling
- No: the patient is described in their actual posture
- It depends on the slice plane chosen for the scan
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Yes: the terms always refer to the anatomical position
The reference position makes the description independent of the actual posture.
Frontal (coronal) plane: what is it?
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A vertical side-to-side plane that separates a front part from a back part.
It is parallel to the forehead, hence its name.
An MRI slice divides the brain into a right and a left half. Which plane is it in?
- Frontal
- Median sagittal
- Transverse
- Oblique
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Median sagittal
The median sagittal plane runs down the middle, between the two hemispheres.