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Directional Terms

Quiz yourself by thinking what should be in each of the black spaces below before clicking on it to display the answer.
        Help!  

Term
Definition
example
superior   above or on top of   the nose is superior to the mouth  
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inferior   below   feet are inferior to knees  
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cephalic / cephalad   towards the head   the head is cephalic to the shoulders  
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caudal / caudad   toward the tail   the hips are caudal to the shoulders  
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anterior   toward the front or before   the sternum is anterior to the vertebrae  
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posterior   toward the back or behind   the calf muscles are posterior to the shin  
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ventral   refers to the belly; another way of saying anterior   the belly button is on the ventral surface of the trunk  
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dorsal   refers to back; another way of saying posterior   the gluteal muscles are on the dorsal side of the body  
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proximal   closer to the attachment point   the shoulder is proximal to the elbow  
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distal   aways from the attachment point   the foot is distal to the knee  
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medial   toward the midline of the body or organ   the inner leg bone is on the medial side of the leg  
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lateral   away from the midline of the body or organ   the ears are lateral to the nose  
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frontal plane   vertical field passing through the body, dividing the body into anterior and posterior portions   abduction and adduction occur in the frontal plane  
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coronal plane   alternate reference to the frontal plane, dividing the body into anterior and posterior portions   abduction and adduction occur in the coronal plane  
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sagittal plane   vertical field running through the body, dividing the body into right and left sides.   flexion and extension occur in the sagittal plane  
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transverse plane   horizontal field dividing the body into superior and inferior portions   head rotation, external, and internal rotation occur in the transverse plane  
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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  
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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  
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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  
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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  
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supine   on the back   snoring may increase when sleeping in supine  
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prone   on the belly   newborns should not be left alone in a prone position  
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erect   standing upright    
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sidelying   positioning of a client on his or her side    
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flexing   bending at a joint    
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extension   straightening at a joint    
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abduction   moving away from the center of the body    
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adduction   moving toward the center of the body    
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supination   moving upward or anteriorly   holding a bowl of soup  
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pronation   moving downward or posteriorly   dropping a bowl of soup  
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rotation   rolling a part on its axis   looking side to side requires this movement  
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external rotation   rotation away from the body's midline    
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internal rotation   rotation towards the body's midline    
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eversion   movement of the sole of the foot away from midline; also known as pronation    
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inversion   movement of the sole of the foot towards midline; also known as supination    
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dorsiflexion   flexing toes up towards the shin    
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plantarflexion   pointing toes    
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