| A | B |
|---|
| Supine | Patient lies flat on back with hands at the sides. |
| Prone | Patient lies on stomach with head turned to the side and arms either alongside body or crossed under the head |
| Anatomical position | The body is standing, feet together, arms to the side and head and palms of hands facing forward. |
| Fowler's position | Patient sits on table with head of table raised to 90- degree angle. |
| Plane | Imaginary lines, horizontal or vertical, drawn through an upright body. |
| Transverse Plane | Any plane that divides the body in superior (upper) and inferior (lower) portions. |
| Sagittal plane | Any plane that divides the body into right and left halves. |
| Frontal plane | Any plane that divides the body at right angles to the sagittal plane. This plane divides the body into front (anterior) or back (ventral) portions. |
| Superior | Above, in an upward direction, toward the head. |
| Inferior | Below, in a downward direction, toward the feet. |
| Cranial | Toward the head end of the body. |
| Caudal | Away from the head, downward from the cranial portion of the body. |
| ad lib | as desired |
| abd | abdomen |
| ac | before meals |
| steth- | chest |
| phalang | finger or toe bone |
| Ped | child or foot |
| Patellar | Referring to the patella area of the knee, or the knee cap. |
| Lumbar | The 5 vertebrae of the lower back of the spinal column. Between the thoracic and the sacral vertebrae. |
