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POSITIONING TERMINOLOGY
Learning a new language!
THE ANATOMIC POSITION
THE ANATOMIC POSITION
 Standing erect with the face and eyes
directed forward.
 Arms extended by the sides with the
palms facing forward (anteriorly).
 Heels together and toes pointed
forward.
 All positioning terms refer to the
anatomic position.
Body
Planes
BODY PLANES - Imaginary lines
passing through the body in the
anatomic position.
 Midsagittal Plane (median plane) is a
longitudinal plane.
 Divides body into equal right and left
portions
 Abbreviated MSP
 A sagittal plane divides the body into right
and left sections, but not equally. These
planes run parallel with the midsagittal
plane.
BODY PLANES
 Midcoronal plane is a longitudinal plane.
 Divides the body into equal front (anterior)
and back (posterior) sections.
 Abbreviated MCP
 Coronal planes divide the body into front
and back sections, but not equally. These
planes run parallel with the midcoronal
plane.
BODY PLANES
 Horizontal, Transverse, or Axial
Planes
 Any transverse plane dividing the
body into upper (superior) and lower
(inferior) sections.
Body Surfaces
BODY SURFACES (OPPOSITES)
 Anterior (ventral)
 Front half of the body that includes the top
of the feet and the palms of the hands.
Refers also to the forward part of an organ.
 Posterior (dorsal)
 Back half of the body that includes the
bottom of the feet and the back of the
hands. Refers also to the back part of an
organ.
SURFACES OF THE FEET & HANDS
 Plantar – soles of feet (posterior)
 Dorsum – top of the foot (anterior)
“dorsum pedis”
 Palmar – palm of hand that is known
also as the anterior or ventral surface
GENERAL BODY POSITIOINS
Supine – lying on the back, face up.
Prone – Lying face down.
Recumbent – Lying down in any position.
Trendelenburg’s position – Supine with the
head lower than the feet.
 Fowler’s position – Supine with the head
higher than the feet
 Erect – (includes seated erect position)
Upright position.
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SUPINE AND RECUMBENT
PRONE AND RECUMBENT
Trendelenburg
Fowler’s (Reverse
Trendelenburg)
SPECIFIC BODY POSITIONS
 Always described by the side or sides
closest to the image receptor!
 Erect or recumbent lateral position:
Right lateral – right side closest to IR.
Left lateral – left side closest to the IR
Demonstrates a side view.
DESCRIBE THIS PATIENT’S
POSITION.
ANSWER
 If you answered the right lateral,
erect position, you are correct.
DESCRIBE THIS PATIENT’S
POSITION.
ANSWER
 If you answered right lateral,
recumbent position, you are correct.
OBLIQUE POSITIONS
 The chest, abdomen, or pelvis is
rotated from the supine, prone or
lateral positions.
 A limb is rotated from the AP, PA or
lateral positions.
SPECIFIC OBLIQUE BODY POSITIONS
 Anterior Obliques – as laterals are
descibed by the body surfaces closest
to the IR.
 RAO – right anterior oblique position
– right and anterior surfaces closest
to image receptor.
 LAO – left anterior oblique – left and
anterior surfaces closest to IR.
IN WHAT POSITION IS THIS
PATIENT POSITIONED?
ANSWER
 If you answered the erect, right
anterior oblique position, you are
correct.
In what position is this patient?
ANSWER
 If you answered recumbent, right
anterior oblique, you are correct.
SPECIFIC OBLIQUE BODY
POSITIONS
 Posterior Obliques –As laterals and
anterior oblique positions are always
described by the surfaces closest to the IR
 RPO – right posterior oblique position- right
and posterior surfaces closest to IR.
 LPO – left posterior oblique position- left
and posterior surfaces closest to IR.
IN WHAT POSITION IS THIS
PATIENT POSITIONED ?
ANSWER
 If you answer erect, left posterior
oblique you are correct.
In what oblique position is this
patient?
ANSWER
 If you answered recumbent, left
posterior oblique, you are correct.
 An image taken in
the RAO position
will correspond
with an image
taken in the LPO
position
 An image takes in
the LAO position
will correspond
with an image
taken in the RPO
position.
OBLIQUE PROJECTIONS OF THE
EXTREMITIES
 Require quantifying terms:
 Medial or internal rotation – The limb
is turned in toward the median plane
or midline of the patient.
 Lateral or external rotation – The limb
is turned away from the median plane
or midline of the patient.
Medial Rotation of the Foot
SPECIFIC BODY POSITIONS
Decubitus positions always require a
horizontal central ray and vertical
placement of the image receptor (IR).
Decubitus means to lie down.
SPECIFIC DECUBITUS POSITIONS
 LLD – Left lateral decubitus
position – Patient lying on left side
with the IR placed vertically and the
x-ray beam horizontal.
 RLD – right lateral decubitus
position –Patient lying on their right
side with the IR placed vertically and
the x-ray beam horizontal.
Left Lateral Decubitus Position
(LLD)
SPECIFIC DECUBITUS POSITIONS
 Dorsal decubitus position –
Patient lying on back with the IR placed vertically
adjacent to a side of the patient, and the x-ray beam
horizontal.
 Ventral decubitus position –
Patient lying face down with the IR placed vertically
adjacent to a side of the patient, and the x-ray beam
horizontal.
Both the dorsal and ventral decubitus positions
ALWAYS DEMONSTRATE A SIDE OR LATERAL IMAGE!
Dorsal Decubitus Position
Ventral Decubitus Position
RADIOGRAPHIC PROJECTIONS
 Projections are different from positions in
that they describe the path of the central
ray (CR) or x-ray beam as it passes
through the patient.
 The term projection always refers to the
path of the central ray as it exits the x-ray
tube, traverses the patient and reaches the
IR, regardless of the body position.
AP (ANTEROPOSTERIOR)
PROJECTION
 CR enters the anterior body surface and
exits the posterior body surface.
 IR closest to the posterior surface of the
patient.
 Produces a posterior view. A view is the
opposite of a projection.
 When viewing a radiograph the term view
represents a position. For example, if the
patient is radiographed in the lateral
position then the image is said to be a
lateral view.
AP Projection
PA (POSTEROANTERIOR)
PROJECTION
 The CR enters the posterior surface of
the body and exits the anterior
surface.
 IR closest to the anterior surface of
the patient.
PA Projection
OBLIQUE BODY PROJECTIONS
 Includes the thorax (chest),
abdomen, and pelvis.
 RAO and LAO positions are posterior
oblique projections, because the
central ray will enter the posterior
surface of the patient and exit the
anterior surface.
 RPO or LPO positions are anterior
oblique projections.
Projections of the Feet
 The feet are commonly imaged so
that the CR enters the top or superior
surface of the foot (dorsum) and exits
the bottom or inferior surface of the
foot (plantar). Thus the projection is
referred to as the dorsoplantar
projection.
AXIAL PROJECTIONS
 Longitudinal angulations of the
central ray x-ray tube) toward the
head (cephalad) or the feet (caudad).
Cephalad CR Angulation – Axial
Projection
TANGENTIAL PROJECTION
 The CR is directed toward the outer
margin of a curved body surface to
profile a body part just under the
surface or a surface lesion and
project it free of superimposition.
TANGENTIAL PROJECTON OF THE
CHEEK BONE OR ZYGOMA
TANGENTIAL PROJECTION OF THE
KNEE CAP OR PATELLA
RELATIONSHIP TERMS
 Medial - “inside part” – closest to median
plane or midline of the body
 Lateral – away from median plane or
midline of body.
 Proximal – near the source or beginning.
In regards to extremities, the part closest
to the trunk of the body.
 Distal – away from the source. In regards
to extremities, the part furthest from the
trunk of the body.
RELATIONSHIP TERMS
RELATIONSHIP TERMS
 Cephalad – toward the head
 Caudad – toward the feet
 Superior – nearer the head or situated
above
 Inferior – nearer the feet or situated below
 Ipsolateral - part or parts on the same side
of the body
 Contralateral – Part or parts on the
opposite side of the body
BODY MOVEMENT TERMINOLOGY
 Abduction – lateral movement of arm
or leg away from the body
 Adduction – movement of arm or leg
toward the body
 Flexion – bending or decreasing the
angle of a joint
 Extension – Straightening or
increasing the angle of a joint
BODY MOVEMENT TERMINOLOGY
 Eversion – outward turning of the foot
at the ankle
 Inversion – inward turning of the foot
at the ankle
 Pronation – Tuning the palm of the
hand down
 Supination – Turning the palm of the
hand up
Eversion
Inversion