CVA 1 Directional Terminology

situated at the front

• Anterior

• Caudal

• Posterior

• Deep

situated at the back

• Cranial

• sagittal plane

• Posterior

• Medial

Toward the head (cranium)

• Cranial

• transverse plane

• Distal

• sagittal plane

Toward the tail (cauda).

• Deep

• transverse plane

• Caudal

• superficial

nearer to or toward the midline (medianus, in the middle)

• Dorsal

• Cranial

• Medial

• sagittal plane

toward the back (dorsum)

• Medial

• Proximal

• Anterior

• Dorsal

toward the belly (ventum)

• Ventral

• Cranial

• Deep

• Anterior

nearer to the point of origin or closer the body

• Dorsal

• sagittal plane

• Proximal

• superficial

Farther from the point of origin or away from the body

• Distal

• median plane

• Cranial

• Posterior

dividing the body into dorsal and ventral portions

• Posterior

• Anterior

• Deep

• frontal plane