Introduction to Clinical

Radiography
Lecture 8
R103 Unit III
Anatomic & Positioning
Terminology
 Anatomic Terminology
 Anatomic position
– Erect, face forward,
feet together, arms at
sides with palms
forward

Unit III 2
 Anatomic Terminology
 Plane
– Flat surface passed
through the body or a
portion of the body
 Longitudinal planes v er se
tr a n s
– Coronal

al
ttal
– Sagittal

agitt
mid-ssagi
coronal
 Horizontal plane

mid-
– Transverse

Unit III 3
 Directional Terms
anterior posterior lateral
cephalad
cephalic

posterior

anterior
superior
cranial

lateral proximal
inferior
caudal medial
caudad distal

Unit III 4
 Joint Movement Terms
ABDUCT vs. ADDUCT

Unit III 5
 Joint Movement Terms
FLEXION vs. EXTENSION
hyperextend

extend
flexion
flexion

extension dorsiflexion

plantar neutral
flexion

Unit III 6
 Joint Movement Terms
INVERSION vs. EVERSION

turn inward or medially turn outward or laterally

Unit III 7
 Joint Movement Terms
PRONATION vs. SUPINATION

place on place on
front back

Unit III 8
 Joint Movement Terms
ROTATION vs. CIRCUMDUCTION

pivot

circle

Unit III 9
 Body Position Terms
Describe the overall
placement of the body
– Erect "upright"
 Position
when the
sagittal and coronal
planes of the body are
perpendicular to the
horizon
– Recumbent "lying
down"
 Position when the
transverse plane of the
body is perpendicular to
the horizon

Unit III 10
 Body Position Terms
decubitus vs. recumbent
– general meanings are the
same "LYING DOWN"
– but in radiography,
decubitus has a special
meaning
– DECUBITUS
 patient is lying down &
the x-ray beam is
parallel to the horizon

Unit III 11
 Erect Positions
 Surface of body closest Left lateral
to the film used to give erect position
a more specific
description
 Examples:
– Posterior erect -- patient
is standing with the
posterior surface of the
body next to the cassette
– Left lateral erect --
patient is standing with
the left side of the body
next to the cassette

Unit III 12
 Recumbent Positions
 Supine
(posterior recumbent
position)
– Lying down on the back
 Prone
(anterior recumbent
position)
– Lying face down

 xx lateral recumbent
– lying down on the xx side

Unit III 13
 Oblique (Erect or Recumbent)
 Position when the body is
rotated so that the MS plane
is neither nor to the film
but at an angle
 Exact position is indicated by
the surface closest to the
film and the angle of rotation
 May be erect or recumbent
 abbreviations:
– RPO, LPO, RAO, LAO 45 RPO

Unit III 14
 Decubitus Positions
 Ventral decubitus
– patient is prone & a horizontal
beam is used

 Dorsal decubitus
– patient is supine & a horizontal
beam is used

 Left lateral decubitus

– patient lying on the left lateral
side & a horizontal beam is
used

Unit III 15
 PROJECTION
 Refers to the path the
beam takes through part
Anteroposterior projection
(AP)
 Beam enters the front surface
and exits the back surface of
AP projection in supine position
the part

Posteroanterior projection
(PA)
 Beam enters the back and
exits the front of the part PA projection in prone position

Unit III 16
 Lateral Projections
 Normally the positioning
terminology is used rather
than projection
– torso and head
 Right to left lateral projection
 Left to right lateral projection

– extremities
 Mediolateralprojection
 Lateromedial projection L lateral erect position
R to L lateral projection

Unit III 17
 Oblique Projections
 Normally the positioning
terminology is used
– example
RPO position = right
anterior to right posterior
projection (oblique AP)

Unit III 18
 Special Projections (Position)
 Axial
AP axial
– projection that includes an with 40°
angulation of the beam usually caudal angle
to the long axis of the body
part

 Tangential
– projection obtained when the
CR touches only along the
edge of a curved body part

Unit III 19