Anatomical Planes of the Body
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This set covers anatomical planes of the body and their appearance in diagnostic imaging like CT and MRI. It is designed for medical and healthcare students.
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Cards · 20
- Transverse (Axial) Plane
- Displays horizontal cross-sections viewed from inferiorly (feet looking up); standard CT view showing the liver on the viewer's left and spleen on the right.
- Sagittal Plane
- Divides structures into right and left segments; on MRI, it effectively visualizes the longitudinal profile of the corpus callosum and spinal cord.
- Midsagittal (Median) Plane
- Cuts directly through the midline; on neuroimaging, it profiles the pituitary gland, brainstem, fourth ventricle, and nasal septum centered in view.
- Parasagittal Plane
- Shows parallel slices lateral to the midline; ideal on knee MRI for inspecting the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments or lateral ventricles.
- Coronal (Frontal) Plane
- Presents vertical slices dividing anterior from posterior; CT views show facial bones and symmetrical bilateral kidneys facing the viewer.
- Oblique Plane
- Slices at an angle non-parallel to standard axes; frequently used in cardiac MRI to capture the four-chamber or short-axis view of the heart.
- Axial Brain View
- Displays horizontal slices demonstrating ventricular symmetry, basal ganglia, and grey-white matter differentiation from a cranial perspective.
- Coronal Pituitary View
- Presents a frontal slice detailing the sella turcica, optic chiasm, and flanking cavernous internal carotid arteries on high-resolution MRI.
- Sagittal Spine View
- Shows stacked vertebral bodies, intervertebral disc spaces, the spinal canal, and neural exit pathways sequentially from the side.
- Axial Spine View
- Provides cross-sections of single vertebral levels to assess central canal narrowing and the presence of herniated disc material.
- Coronal Thorax View
- Visualizes the trachea bifurcating into main bronchi alongside aortic arch contours and bilateral lung apex-to-base distribution.
- Axial Abdomen View
- Cross-sectional imaging displaying the pancreas draped across the mesenteric vessels, flanked by the liver, stomach, and kidneys.
- Coronal Abdomen View
- Displays bowel loops, mesenteric root vascular branching, and bilateral psoas muscles in a complete panoramic vertical layout.
- Axial Pelvis View
- Captures the bladder anteriorly and rectum posteriorly, displaying the prostate in males or the uterus and cervix in females.
- Coronal Knee View
- Shows the femoral condyles meeting the tibial plateau, profiling medial and lateral collateral ligaments and meniscal margins.
- Sagittal Knee View
- Profiles the patella, patellar tendon, Hoffa fat pad, and cruciate ligaments from an orthogonal lateral-to-medial progression.
- Axial Shoulder View
- Provides cross-sectional visibility of the humeral head seated in the glenoid fossa and evaluates anterior/posterior labral integrity.
- Coronal Oblique Shoulder View
- Angled along the scapular spine to show the supraspinatus muscle belly extending into its tendon attachment on the greater tuberosity.
- Multiplanar Reconstruction (MPR)
- Software-generated reformats that reconstruct isotropic axial CT data into sagittal, coronal, or curved planar diagnostic images.
- Curved Planar Reformation (CPR)
- Follows the winding path of tubular structures, unrolling curved anatomy like coronary arteries or the ureter into a single plane.