Many of you may be starting your Fall semester and are enrolled in a medical terminology course. Hopefully, the anatomical directional terms video and crossword will help you understand and use them.
Anatomical directional terms help healthcare professionals describe the precise location of body parts relative to each other. These terms are essential for communicating about the location of injuries, pain, or procedures.
The terms are based on the anatomical position:

- body erect
- palms of the hands forward
- thumbs away from the body
- feet slightly apart
Example: Pain was felt in the posterior left leg and radiated to the distal lateral extremity.
Watch this 4-Minute Video
Solve the Crossword
Try Other Medical Terminology Crosswords > Watch Other Videos on Our Medical Terminology Blog >Definitions of the terms used in the crossword are from: Exploring Medical Language, 12th Edition, Chapter 3: Directional Terms, Positions, and Imaging
Myrna LaFleur Brooks is a coauthor of the textbooks Exploring Medical Language and Basic Medical Language.




