Planes and Axis

• Plane


  A way of dividing the body using imaginary flat lines. "Cuts" the body in half and relates to movement.
• Anatomically Neutral


  Standing upright, legs together and knees straight, toes pointing forwards, arms by your sides, palms facing forwards.
• Transverse Plane


  Divides the body across the hips horizontally, separating the body into upper and lower parts - rotation/turning movements.
• Frontal Plane


  Divides the body into front and back sections - side to side movements (abduction and adduction).
• Sagittal Plane


  Divides the body from top to bottom vertically into left and right sides - forward or backward movements and flexion and extension.
• Axis


  A straight line that an object rotates or turns around. Movements at a joint are simply rotations - bending the arm at the elbow actually involves rotating the forearm around the elbow joint.
• Transverse Axis


  Passes horizontally through the body from left to right. Movements around a transverse axis take place in the sagittal plane (forwards and backwards).
• Sagittal Axis


  Passes horizontally through the body from back to front. Movements around a sagittal axis take place in the frontal plane (side to side).
• Longitudional Axis


  Passes Vertically from the top of the body to the feet. Movements around the longitudional axis take place in the transverse plane (rotations).