Positional Anatomy Terms For Emt's

Front 1

Abduction

Back 1

[ab-duhk-shuhn]

In medicine, the movement of a limb away from the midline of the body. Abduction of both legs spreads the legs. The opposite of abduction is adduction. Adduction of the legs brings them together.

Abduction is to move a limb to the side, away from the body.

Front 2

Adduction

Back 2

[uh-duhk-shuhn]

Movement of a limb toward the midline of the body. The opposite of adduction is abduction.

An adductor muscle pulls toward the midline of the body. For example, the adductor muscles of the legs pull the legs toward the midline of the body so the legs are closer together.

Adduction_ indicates the rotation of the foot so that the toes are turned towards the middle line of the body; while in _abduction_ the toes are turned away from the middle line.

Front 3

Afferent

Back 3

(af´er-ent)

Carrying toward. A vein is an afferent vessel since it carries blood toward the heart. An afferent nerve carries impulses toward the central nervous system. The opposite of afferent is efferent.

Afferent neurons - send information from senses to spinal cord

Front 4

Anterior

Back 4

[an-teer-ee-er]

The front surface of the body, as opposed to the posterior.

The anterior surface of the heart is toward the breast bone (the sternum).

Front 5

Caudad

Back 5

(kô'dād')

Toward the feet (or, in embryology, toward the tail), as opposed to cranial. The spinal cord is caudad to the brain.

Caudad to the heart and in the region of the anterior appendages, the esophagus suddenly enlarges to form the stomach, which has now quite the outline of the typical human stomach.

Front 6

Cephalad

Back 6

(ˈsef-ə-ˌlad)

toward the head or anterior end of the body as opposed to the feet or posterior. The Knee is cephalad to the tibia.

The lungs, whose structure will be shown in the sections of this stage, are large, irregular bodies, extending about equal distances cephalad and caudad to their openings into the bronchi.

Front 7

Circumduction

Back 7

(sûr'kəm-dŭk'shən)

Circumduction is defined as the movement pattern which is a combination of flexion, extension, adduction and abduction. It occurs at synovial joints where a circle can be described by the body part. True circumduction can only really occur at Ball and socket joints, such as the hip and shoulder.

Circumduction is very limited, and is merely a succession of the preceding movements.

Front 8

Craniad

Back 8

(krā'nē-ād')

toward the cranium or head as opposed to towards the feet.

The stab wound was craniad to the 4th rib on the anterior of the patient.

Front 9

Distal

Back 9

[dis-tl]

The more (or most) distant of two (or more) things. For example, the distal end of the femur (the thigh bone) is the end down by the knee; the end more distant from the torso. The distal bile duct is the far end of the cystic duct, the end away from the gallbladder. And the distal lymph node in a chain of nodes is the most distant one. The opposite of distal is proximal.

The heart muscle that lies distal to this sudden blockage usually dies -- and that is how a heart attack occurs.

Front 10

Dorsal

Back 10

[dawr-suhl]

Relating to the back or postterior of a structure. As opposed to the ventral, or front, of the structure. Some of the dorsal surfaces of the body are the back, buttocks, calves, and the knuckle side of the hand

Dorsal branch of the ulnar nerve supplying the back of the hand and the three outer fingers.

Front 11

Dorsiflexion

Back 11

[dawr-suh-flek-shuhn]

flexion in a dorsal direction
especially : flexion of the foot in an upward direction compare

Ankle movement, when the foot bends upwards, towards the leg.

Front 12

Efferent

Back 12

[ef-er-uhnt]

Carrying away. An artery is an efferent vessel carrying blood away from the heart. An efferent nerve carries impulses away from the central nervous system. The opposite of efferent is afferent.

Almost all nerves contain a mixture of afferent and efferent cell processes.

Front 13

Flexion

Back 13

[flek-shuhn]

The process of bending or the state of being bent. Flexion of the fingers results in a clenched fist.

Flexion is the most extensive of all the movements of the vertebral column, and is freest in the lumbar region.

Front 14

Inferior

Back 14

[in-feer-ee-er]

In anatomy, below or toward the feet. As opposed to superior. The liver is inferior to the lungs.

The patient has a large laceration on the posterior portion of his leg inferior to his knee.

Front 15

Lateral

Back 15

[lat-er-uhl]

In anatomy, the side of the body or a body part that is farther from the middle or center of the body. Typically, lateral refers to the outer side of the body part, but it is also used to refer to the side of a body part. For example, when referring to the knee, lateral refers to the side of the knee farthest from the opposite knee. The opposite of lateral is medial.

The patient has a large contusion on the right lateral side of his hip.

Front 16

Medial

Back 16

[mee-dee-uhl]

Pertaining to the middle; in or toward the middle; nearer the middle of the body. Medial is as opposed to lateral. For example, the medial side of the knee is the side closest to the other knee whereas the lateral side of the knee is the outside of the knee.

The Medial Portion of the superior ramus, formerly described as the body of the pubis, is somewhat quadrilateral in shape.

Front 17

Palmar

Back 17

(pal-mer)

The palm or grasping side of the hand.

almar skin is attached to a sheet of tissue called the palmar fascia that underlies it by septa.

Front 18

Plantar

Back 18

[plan-ter]

Having to do with the sole of the foot, the plantar response (also known as the Babinski reflex) is elicited by stroking the sole. The plantar fascia is the "bowstring-like" tissue stretching from the heel beneath the sole. A plantar wart is a wart on the sole.

Heel Pain - Plantar Fasciitis: You don't even have to be a walker to be hobbled by heel pain or pain in the bottom of your foot.

Front 19

Posterior

Back 19

(po-steer-ee-er)

The back or behind, as opposed to the anterior.

The patient has a large burn on his posterior, proximal to his patella.

Front 20

Proximal

Back 20

[prok-suh-muhl]

Toward the beginning, the nearer of two (or more) items. For example, the proximal end of the femur is part of the hip joint, and the shoulder is proximal to the elbow. The opposite of proximal is distal.

Proximal to this arch is an irregular venous net-work which receives tributaries from the deep veins and is joined at the sides of the foot by a medial and a lateral marginal vein, formed mainly by the union of branches from the superficial parts of the sole of the foo

Front 21

Superior

Back 21

(suh-peer-ee-er)

In antomy, above or over top of. As opposed to inferior. The heart is superior to the stomach. The superior surface of the tongue rests against the palate.

The elbow is superior to the hand .

Front 22

Ventral

Back 22

[ven-truhl]

Pertaining to the front or anterior of any structure. The ventral surfaces of the body include the chest, abdomen, shins, palms, and soles. Ventral is as opposed to dorsal. From the Latin "venter" meaning belly.

Ventral hernia is most common in pregnant mares, and is here due to the weight of the fetus or to some degenerative changes taking place in the abdominal coats.