Body Planes in Anatomy

Body Planes

• A plane is a straight line surface connecting two points.
• There are four common body planes: sagittal, coronal, horizontal, and oblique.

Sagittal Plane

• Divides the body into right and left parts.
• The midsagittal plane is a midline sagittal plane that divides the body into equal right and left parts.

Coronal Plane

• Divides the body into anterior and posterior parts.
• The midcoronal plane divides the body into equal anterior and posterior parts.

Horizontal Plane

• Divides the body into superior and inferior portions.

Oblique Plane

• A longitudinal or transverse plane that is not parallel to the sagittal, coronal, or horizontal planes.

Body Sections

• A body section is a "cut" or "slice" image of a body part.

Longitudinal Sections

• Include sagittal, coronal, and oblique sections.
• Run lengthwise in the direction of the long axis of the body.

Transverse or Axial Sections

• Cut at right angles along any point of the longitudinal axis of the body.

Body Surfaces

• Posterior refers to the back half of the patient.
• Anterior refers to the front half of the patient.

Body Surfaces of Hands and Feet

• Plantar refers to the sole or posterior surface of the foot.