REHA2171 Osteopathy Theory and Practice 1

Basic Anatomical Terminology

The following is a list of anatomical terms that you need to become familiar with. The
information is taken from Moores1 text, the Glossary of Osteopathic Terminology2 and
Dorlonds Medical Dictionary3 and you should refer to these, or similar texts, for a fuller
explanation of the terms.
Anatomical Position: a. the head, eyes and toes are facing forward or anteriorly,
b. arms are by the side with palms facing forward or anteriorly
c. lower limbs are hip width apart
This is the position that the body is considered to be in the anatomical or neutral position. It
allows descriptive terms to be added to in a consistent fashion.
Prone lying on stomach, or face down
Supine lying on back, face up

Anatomical Planes
Median plane cuts the body in half from head to toe and delineates the right and left side
of the body. It is a vertical plane. Also called mid-sagittal plane
Sagittal plane Vertical plane that lies parallel to the median plane
Frontal or coronal plane - vertical plane that passes from one side of the body to the other
and separates the body into front (anterior) or back (posterior) sections.
Transverse plane a horizontal plane that divides the body into superior (upper) and inferior
(lower) parts

Terms of Relationship and Comparison

These are often paired terms that represent the opposite position.
Cephalad toward the head
Caudad or caudal toward the tail or feet region
Superior situated above or directed upward
Inferior situated below or directed downward
Anterior situated or directed toward the front
Posterior situated or directed toward the back
Medial situated or directed toward the mid-line of the body
Lateral situated or directed away from the mid-line of the body

Dorsum back of a structure often hand or foot

Palmar relating to the surface of the palm
Plantar relating to the sole of the foot
Proximal nearest to the site of attachment of a limb or centre of body
Distal toward the end of the limb or centre of the body
External situated or near the outside of the body
Internal situated or near the inside of the body
Superficial closest to the outside of the body
Intermediate between the surface and interior of the body
Deep closest to the centre of the body
Axial 80 bones along the central axis of the human body composed of six parts: the
human skull, ossicles of the middle ear, hyoid bone, rib cage, sternum, vertebral
column
Appendicular 126 bones of the human body. a part that is joined to something larger
divided into six major regions: 1. pectoral girdles 2. arm and forearm 3. hands
4. pelvis 5. thigh and legs 6. feet and ankles
Combined terms
There is often a need to combine some of the above terms to more accurately describe the
location, plane or position of the body part we are discussing or examining. Some examples
are: inferomedial, superolateral, etc.

Terms of Laterality
Bilateral
Unilateral
Ipsilateral

having two sides, or pertaining to both sides

affecting one side
situated on, pertaining to, or affecting the same side, as opposed to
contralateral
Contralateral situated on, pertaining to, or affecting the opposite side, as opposed to
ipsilateral

Terms of Movement 1, 3
Flexion
Extension

1. Forward motion of the spine around a transverse axis

2. In relation to a joint: the approximation of a curve or joint
1. Backward motion of the spine around a transverse axis
2. in relation to a joint: the straightening of a curve or joint

Side bending/lateral flexion: movement in a coronal plane about an anteroposterior axis

Rotation:
motion about an axis.
Abduct:
Adduct:

to draw away from the median plane or from the axial line of a limb
to draw toward the median plane or toward the axial line of a limb

Pronation
Supination

when applied to the hand the act of turning the palm backward or posteriorly
or downward
when applied to the hand the act of turning the palm forward or anteriorly or
upward

Internal rotation
External rotation

rotation toward the centre of the body

rotation away from the centre of the body

Plantar flexion

motion that increases the angle between the dorsal surface of the foot
and the shin
motion that decreases the angle between the dorsal surface of the
foot and the shin

Dorsiflexion
Protrusion
Retrusion

a movement in the anterior direction

a movement in the posterior direction

Protraction
Retraction

anterolateral movement of the scapular

posteromedial movement of the scapular

Elevation
Depression

a movement in a superior direction

a movement in an inferior direction

Eversion
Inversion

sole of foot moves away from median plane

sole of foot moves toward a median plane

Circumduction

a circular motion that involves flexion, abduction, extension and

adduction in a sequence

Opposition

motion in which the pad of the thumb is brought toward the pad of a
finger
Reposition
motion in which the pad of the thumb is taken away from the pad of a
finger
Palmar abduction
motion of the thumb away from the palmar surface of the hand when
in the neutral position
Palmar adduction
motion of the thumb back to neutral position from position of palmar
abduction

References
1. Moore KL, Dalley AF and Agur AM. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. 6th Ed. 2010.
Phildelphia:Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
2. Chila AG. Editor. Foundations of Osteopathic Medicine. 3rd Ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott
Williams & Wilkins. 2011.
3. Taylor EJ. Ed. Dorlands Illustrated Medical Dictionary. 27th Ed. 1988. Philadelphia:W.B.
Saunders Co.