Surface Anatomy Terms: Definitions and Locations

Surface Anatomy Terms

Introduction

Surface anatomy refers to the study of external anatomical landmarks that are visible or palpable on the body. These terms are essential for describing locations, regions, and directions on the human body, and are widely used in clinical and anatomical contexts.

Major Surface Anatomy Terms and Their Descriptions

• Cephalic: Refers to the head region.

• Frontal: Pertains to the forehead.

• Orbital: Relates to the eye socket (orbit).

• Nasal: Pertains to the nose area.

• Buccal: Refers to the cheek region.

• Oral: Pertains to the mouth.

• Mental: Refers to the chin.

• Cervical: Relates to the neck.

• Thoracic: Pertains to the chest.

• Sternal: Refers to the breastbone (sternum) area.

• Axillary: Pertains to the armpit.

• Mammary: Refers to the breast region.

• Abdominal: Relates to the abdomen.

• Umbilical: Pertains to the navel (belly button).

• Pelvic: Refers to the pelvis area.

• Inguinal: Pertains to the groin.

• Pubic: Refers to the genital region.

• Acromial: Pertains to the shoulder.

• Brachial: Refers to the arm (specifically the upper arm).

• Antecubital: Pertains to the front of the elbow.

• Olecranal: Refers to the back of the elbow.

• Antebrachial: Relates to the forearm.

• Carpal: Pertains to the wrist.

• Manus: Refers to the hand.

• Metacarpal: Relates to the back of the hand (metacarpal bones).

• Palmar: Pertains to the palm of the hand.

• Pollex: Refers to the thumb.

• Digital: Pertains to the fingers or toes.

• Coxal: Refers to the hip.

• Femoral: Pertains to the thigh.

• Patellar: Refers to the front of the knee (kneecap).

• Popliteal: Pertains to the back of the knee.

• Crural: Refers to the leg (specifically the lower leg).

• Sural: Pertains to the calf (back of the lower leg).

• Fibular: Relates to the lateral side of the lower leg (fibula region).

• Pedal: Refers to the foot.

• Tarsal: Pertains to the ankle.

• Calcaneal: Refers to the heel.

• Metatarsal: Relates to the top of the foot (metatarsal bones).

• Plantar: Pertains to the sole of the foot.

• Hallux: Refers to the big toe.

• Otic: Pertains to the ear.

• Occipital: Refers to the back of the head.

• Scapular: Pertains to the shoulder blade (scapula).

• Vertebral: Relates to the spinal column.

• Lumbar: Refers to the lower back.

• Sacral: Pertains to the area over the sacrum (base of the spine).

• Gluteal: Refers to the buttocks.

• Perineal: Pertains to the region between the anus and external genitalia.

Examples and Applications

• Clinical Application: Surface anatomy terms are used by healthcare professionals to describe the location of injuries, surgical incisions, or physical examination findings. For example, a physician may note "pain in the right inguinal region" to specify the area near the groin.

• Imaging and Diagnostics: Radiologists use these terms to describe the location of abnormalities seen on X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs.

Classification Table: Surface Anatomy Regions

Region	Term	Description
Head	Cephalic, Frontal, Orbital, Nasal, Buccal, Oral, Mental, Otic, Occipital	Forehead, eyes, nose, cheeks, mouth, chin, ears, back of head
Neck	Cervical	Neck region
Trunk	Thoracic, Sternal, Mammary, Abdominal, Umbilical, Pelvic, Inguinal, Pubic, Vertebral, Lumbar, Sacral, Gluteal, Perineal, Scapular	Chest, breastbone, breast, abdomen, navel, pelvis, groin, genital, spine, lower back, sacrum, buttocks, perineum, shoulder blade
Upper Limb	Acromial, Brachial, Antecubital, Olecranal, Antebrachial, Carpal, Manus, Metacarpal, Palmar, Pollex, Digital	Shoulder, arm, front/back of elbow, forearm, wrist, hand, back of hand, palm, thumb, fingers
Lower Limb	Coxal, Femoral, Patellar, Popliteal, Crural, Sural, Fibular, Pedal, Tarsal, Calcaneal, Metatarsal, Plantar, Hallux, Digital	Hip, thigh, front/back of knee, leg, calf, lateral leg, foot, ankle, heel, top of foot, sole, big toe, toes

Additional info: Surface anatomy terms are foundational for understanding anatomical position, directional terms, and regional anatomy in both clinical and academic settings.