Sagittal plane

Sagittal plane is a vertical plane which passes from front to rear dividing the body into right and left sections.

Variations

Examples include:

• The terms median plane or mid-sagittal plane are sometimes used to describe the sagittal plane running through the midline. This plane cuts the body into halves (assuming bilateral symmetry),^[1] passing through midline structures such as the navel and spine. It is one of the lines defining the right upper quadrant of the human abdomen.

• It is also worth mentioning that terms such as parasagittal are sometimes used to describe a plane parallel to the midline; however, this term is unnecessary, since any plane parallel to and on either side of the medial plane is sagittal by definition.

• In general, planes that are parallel to the sagittal plane, but do not pass through the midline, are known as parasagittal.
  • The midclavicular line crosses through the clavicle.
  • Other sagittal lines/planes include the lateral sternal and parasternal.^[2]

Terminology

The term sagittal is derived from the Latin word Sagitta, meaning "arrow". An image of an arrow piercing a body and passing from front (anterior) to back (posterior) on a parabolic trajectory would be one way to demonstrate the derivation of the term. Another explanation would be the notching of the sagittal suture posteriorly by the lambdoidal suture —similar to feathers on an arrow.

• Sagittal axis is the axis perpendicular to the sagittal plane, i.e., the sagittal axis is formed by the intersection of the coronal and the transversal planes.

• Abduction and adduction are terms for movements of limbs relative to the coronal plane.

• Coronal axis or frontal axis is the axis perpendicular to the coronal plane, i.e., the one formed by the intersection of the sagittal and the transversal planes. Extension and flexion are the movements of limbs relative to the sagittal plane.

See also

• Anatomical terms of location
• Coronal plane
• Transverse plane

References