Anatomical Planes

Three primary planes are employed in human and animal anatomy:

• The sagittal plane (longitudinal, anteroposterior) or lateral plane (longitudinal, anteroposterior) is a plane perpendicular to the sagittal suture. It denotes the left and right sides of the body.
• The coronal or frontal plane (vertical) separates the body into dorsal and ventral (or back and front, or posterior and anterior) segments.
• The transverse plane (horizontal) splits the body into cranial and caudal (head and tail) halves.

There could be any number of sagittal planes, but there is only one cardinal sagittal plane, as opposed to the other planes. This plane splits the body into equal segments, with exactly one half of each segment on either side of the cardinal plane. The name “cardinal plane” refers to this one plane that separates the body into equal segments. In some sources, the cardinal plane is referred to as the primary plane, which is incorrect. There is no dissimilarity between the two terms.

Human Anatomy

When studying human anatomy, the anatomical planes are named based on the fact that the anatomical model is standing up.

It is called an axial or horizontal plane because it is parallel to the ground. It separates the upper and lower parts, or the head and feet, by putting them on opposite sides of it. transpyloric, transumbilical, supracristal, intertubercular, and interspinous are all terms for the transverse planes in Terminologia Anatomica, which is a list of terms for the different types of transverse planes.

A coronal plane, also called a frontal plane, is perpendicular to the ground. It separates the anterior from the posterior, the front from the back, the ventral from the dorsal, and the front from the back.

If you look at the ground from above, you can see that the left and right sides are separated by a sagittal plane (also called anteroposterior plane). Midsagittal plane: The median plane is the sagittal plane that is in the middle of the body. It passes through the navel and spine, as well as other parts of the body in the middle. Sagittal plane: It is the only one that isn’t in line with other sagittal lines, which are called “parasagittal planes.”

The axes and sagittal plane are the same for bipeds and quadrupeds, but the orientation of transverse planes and the coronal plane is different for each type of body. The axes on certain pieces of equipment may or may not be the same as the axes on the body. This is because the body and the equipment may be in different positions when the axes are looked at from above.

Uses

Motion

These planes define the axis along which an action is done when describing anatomical motion. Thus, movement from head to toe occurs via the transverse plane. For instance, if a person leaps straight up and then falls, their body will pass through the transverse plane in the coronal and sagittal planes.

Any plane perpendicular to the transverse plane is referred to as a longitudinal plane. Longitudinal planes include the coronal and sagittal planes.

Finding anatomical landmarks

In humans, superficial anatomy may serve as a point of reference, with reference being made to anatomical landmarks that are visible on the surface of the skin or beneath the skin. Lines and points, like planes, are purely fictitious constructs. Examples include the following:

• This is the midaxillary line, which is a straight line that runs vertically along the body’s surface and passes through the axilla’s apex (armpit). The anterior axillary line, which runs through, the posterior axillary line and the anterior axillary skinfold, which passes through the posterior axillary skinfold, are parallel lines that run parallel to one another.
• The midclavicular line is a line that runs vertically along the surface of the body and passes through the middle of the clavicle, and it is defined as follows:

Additional references may be made to structures at certain levels of the spine (for example, the 4th cervical vertebra, abbreviated “C4”), or to the rib cage (for example, the thoracic cage) (e.g., the 5th intercostal space).

In medicine, it is sometimes necessary to characterise abdominal organs in terms of the trans-pyloric plane, which is a transverse plane that passes across the pylorus.

Conclusion

There are several sagittal planes, but only one cardinal sagittal plane, as opposed to the other planes. The body is divided into equal pieces by this plane, with one half of each segment on either side of the cardinal plane. This one plane that divides the body into equal parts is referred to as the “cardinal plane.” The cardinal plane is incorrectly referred to as the principal plane in certain publications. The two terms are completely interchangeable.

The anatomical planes are named based on the fact that the anatomical model is standing up when studying human anatomy.

Because it is parallel to the ground, it is called an axial or horizontal plane. It divides the upper and bottom sections of the body, or the head and feet, by placing them on opposing sides of the body. In Terminologia Anatomica, which is a list of names for the various sorts of transverse planes, transpyloric, transumbilical, supracristal, intertubercular, and interspinous are all terms for transverse planes.