Planes of Reference

The human body can be viewed at various angles: front or back, right or left, top or bottom. The planes or basis used to define these perspectives are called the planes of reference. To put it in scientific or medical terms, the most common planes of reference of the body are the frontal (coronal) plane, sagittal plane, and transverse (horizontal) plane.

First, the Frontal or Coronal Plane separates the anterior (front/ forward) and posterior (back) portion of the human body. This plane is parallel to the coronal suture of the skull, which divides the body in half along that axis, hence the name “coronal.”

Next, the Sagittal Plane, which is termed as a “vertical or longitudinal plane of reference,” divides the body into left and right. While the coronal plane is named after the coronal suture of the brain, the sagittal plane is named after the sagittal suture where two parietal bones articulate with each other. Specific classifications of the sagittal plane are the midsagittal and parasagittal planes. The parasagittal plane is in reference to any section that divides the body into left and right, regardless of which one has a larger area, whereas the midsagittal plane divides the body vertically right in the middle.

Lastly, the Transverse Plane or transaxial plane, is the only horizontal reference that divides the human body into the superior (upper) and inferior (lower) portion.