Terminology

Front 1

nearer to the front surface of the body (ventral).

Back 1

anterior

Front 2

nearer to the back surface of the body (dorsal).

Back 2

posterior

Front 3

nearer to the head (cranial, cephalic)

Back 3

superior

Front 4

nearer to the feet (caudal)

Back 4

inferior

Front 5

nearer to the midline of the body

Back 5

medial

Front 6

farther from the midline of the body

Back 6

lateral

Front 7

refers to the anterior surface of the hand

Back 7

palmar

Front 8

refers to the inferior surface of the foot (sole)

Back 8

plantar

Front 9

refers to the opposite surface of the hand and foot

Back 9

dorsum

Front 10

nearer to the trunk or origin of the structure

Back 10

proximal

Front 11

farther from the trunck or origin of the structure

Back 11

distal

Front 12

usually denotes nearness to the skin surface

Back 12

superficial

Front 13

nearness from the skin surface

Back 13

deep

Front 14

inside the body cavity or organ (interior)

Back 14

internal

Front 15

outside a body cavity or hollow organ

Back 15

external

Front 16

the vertical anteroposterior plane parallel to and including the median (midline) plane.

Back 16

sagittal

Front 17

the vertical side-to-sideplane at right angles to the sagital plane (frontal)

Back 17

coronal

Front 18

in any plane at right angles to the long axis of the body or limb

Back 18

transverse

Front 19

a plane at any other angle

Back 19

oblique

Front 20

the proxiamal attachment of a limb

Back 20

origin

Front 21

distal attachment of a limb muscle or the more movable attachment

Back 21

insertion

Front 22

bending or decreasing the angle between body parts

Back 22

flexion

Front 23

straightening or increasing the angle between body parts

Back 23

extension

Front 24

(preeaxial) anterior in the upper limb and posterior in the lower limb

Back 24

flexor surface

Front 25

(postaxial) is the posterior in the upper limb and anterior in the lower limb

Back 25

extensor surface

Front 26

movement away from the median plane

Back 26

abduction

Front 27

movement toward the median plane

Back 27

adduction

Front 28

is a combined movement involving flexion, abduction, extension and adduction in sequence.

Back 28

circumduction

Front 29

is movement around a long axis. There are two types of roation: medial (internal) and lateral (external).

Back 29

rotation

Front 30

is the turning of the palm down or posteriorly

Back 30

pronation

Front 31

is the turning of the palm forward of anteriorly

Back 31

supination

Front 32

is the movement of the plantar surface medially

Back 32

inversion

Front 33

is the movement of the plantar surface laterally

Back 33

eversion

Front 34

movement of a structure anteriorly (protrusion)

Back 34

protraction

Front 35

movement of a structure posteriorly (retrusion)

Back 35

retraction