2.4 Directional and Movement Terms
Directional terms are essential for describing the locations of different body structures. General terms such as up and down, side-to-side, and front and back would not give a clear understanding of the intended location. For instance, a dog comes in with a wound on its leg. How might the history be taken so that everyone in the clinic could find the exact location. The directional terms that are used in veterinary medicine refer to animals as quadruped; the equivalent for a human standing erect would be biped.
atDove. (2017, January 26). Directional terms in veterinary medicine [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKYmpzmiwzI&t=25s
Directional Terms
Directional terms are used much like referring to a map drawn on the body. Using these terms allows medical personnel to find a specific location on the body .
- Cranial: Towards the head (cranium)
- Caudal: Towards the tail
- Distal: Farther from or away from the body or the source (referring to a limb or extremity)
- Dorsal: Towards the back
- Lateral: Farther from the midline or median plane or towards the side of the body
- Medial: Closer to the midline or median plane or towards the middle
- Proximal: Nearer or closer to the body or source (referring to a limb or extremity)
- Palmar: Caudal surface of the forelimb
- Plantar: Caudal surface of the hindlimb
- Rostral: Within the head towards the nose or muzzle
- Ventral: Towards the belly
- Superficial: Towards the surface of the body
- Deep: Towards the core of the body or appendage
Key Concept
Directional terms can be remembered in terms of paired opposites:
- Dorsal/ventral
- Medial/lateral
- Cranial/caudal
- Superficial/deep
- Proximal/distal
- Palmar/dorsal
- Plantar/dorsal
Clarification of Direction
When describing a precise location, clarification of the direction would occur. For example, in surgery, a biopsy could be taken from the superior aspect of the liver, indicating that it was taken from the top or higher portion of the liver.
- Anterior describes the front or the direction towards the front of the body; for example, a mass found on the anterior portion of the liver.
- Posterior describes the back or the direction towards the back of the body; for example, a mass found on the posterior portion of the liver.
- Superior describes a position above or higher than another part of the body; for example, a mass found on the superior portion of the liver.
- Inferior describes a position below or lower than another part of the body; for example, a mass found on the inferior portion of the liver.
Anatomical Positions
When an animal is in the clinic for examination, they may need to move into different positions to be examined or during procedures and treatments. One example is when an X-ray is required and multiple views have to be obtained.
- Recumbent: Lying down
- Ventral recumbency: Lying on the belly
- Sternal recumbency (also known as prone): Lying on the sternum (breastbone)
Key Concept
Ventral and sternal recumbency may be used interchangeably; for example, when an animal lies down , it is lying on both the belly and sternum.
- Dorsal recumbency (also known as supine): Lying on the backbone
- Lateral recumbency: Lying on the side
- Left lateral recumbency: Lying on the left side
- Right lateral recumbency: Lying on the right side
Example
As shown in Figure 2.10, a sedated cat is placed in sternal recumbency for a minor procedure.
Clinical Insight
Most general practices are equipped to take radiographs. Radiograph positioning is named according to the direction from which the beam enters the body to the where it exits the body. A common position for patients is lying on their back in dorsal recumbency. This is called ventrodorsal, or (V/D), because the beam enters the body from the ventral aspect and exits on the dorsal aspect. Another common position is right lateral recumbency. As shown in Figure 2, the top image is in right lateral recumbency, and the bottom image is in V/D.
Movement Terms
Adduction: Movement towards the midline (median plane)
Abduction: Movement away from the midline (median plane)
Flexion: Closure of a joint or reduction of the angle of a joint
Extension: Straightening of a joint or increasing the angle of a joint
| WORD PART/COMBINING FORM | MEANING | EXAMPLES USED IN VETERINARY MEDICINE |
|---|---|---|
| ab- | away | abduction |
| ad- | towards | adduction |
| anter/o | front | anterior |
| dist/o | far | distal |
| dors/o | back of body | dorsal |
| flex/o | bend | flexion |
| later/o | side | lateral |
| medi/o | middle | medial |
| poster/o | toward the tail | posterior |
Exercises
Attribution
Unless otherwise indicated, material on this page has been adapted from the following resource:
Sturdy, L., & Erickson, S. (2022). The language of medical terminology. Open Education Alberta. https://pressbooks.openeducationalberta.ca/medicalterminology/, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Image Credits
(images are listed in order of appearance)
Directional Archie by Kelly Robertson, NorQuest College. Used with permission.
Medial lateral Ozzie by Kelly Robertson, NorQuest College. Used with permission.
Cat sleeping by katya-guseva0, Pixabay licence
X-ray of a dog in right lateral and V/D positions by Kelly Robertson, NorQuest College. Used with permission.
Cat stretch and yawn by jonathansautter, Pixabay licence
an animal with four feet (pads/hooves)
an animal with two feet
an image produced on a sensitive plate or film by X-rays, gamma rays, or similar radiation, and typically used in medical examination. (wikipedia).
oriented from or positionally from the ventral region to the dorsal region.
The act of moving (taking) away from
Movement toward the midline of the body
towards the front
towards the back
closure of a joint or reduction of an angle of a joint.
farther from the midline or towards the side of the body.
closer to the midline or towards the middle.
describes the back or the direction toward the back of the body.
