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Anatomical position

Authoring team

For the purpose of universal comparison, there is a standard position - the anatomical position - that the patient or cadaver theoretically has assumed. This allows consistent description of body parts in relation to each other.

This entails:

  • spine straight, as when standing upright
  • feet together
  • head and eyes looking forward - anteriorly
  • arms straight, adjacent to sides of body
  • palms facing forward
  • fingers extended

The body must always be visualised in, and relationships described from, this pose, even when lying on its back - supine - or front - prone.


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