Examples of sagittal planes include: • The terms
median plane or
mid-sagittal plane are sometimes used to describe the
sagittal plane running through the midline. This plane cuts the body into halves (assuming
bilateral symmetry), passing through midline structures such as the
navel and
spine. It is one of the planes which, combined with the
umbilical plane, defines the
four quadrants of the
human abdomen. • The term
parasagittal is used to describe any plane parallel or adjacent to a given sagittal plane. Specific named parasagittal planes include: • The
midclavicular line crosses through the
clavicle. • Lateral
sternal and
parasternal planes. The term
sagittal derives from the
Latin word
sagitta, meaning "arrow". An image of an arrow piercing a body and passing from front (anterior) to back (posterior) on a parabolic
trajectory with the upright bow that shot it would be one way to demonstrate the derivation of the term. Another explanation would involve the notching of the
sagittal suture posteriorly by the
lambdoidal suture —similar to feathers on an arrow. The
Oxford English Dictionary indicates that
sagittal in the sense of the
sagittal suture along the vertex of the skull pre-dates other anatomical usage. •
Sagittal axis or
anterior-posterior axis is the axis perpendicular to the coronal plane, i.e., the one formed by the intersection of the sagittal and the transversal planes •
Coronal axis,
medial-lateral axis, or
frontal axis is the axis perpendicular to the sagittal plane, i.e., the one formed by the intersection of the coronal and the transversal planes. •
Extension and
flexion are the movements of limbs within the sagittal plane. •
Abduction and
adduction are terms for movements of limbs within the
coronal plane. • Sagittal plane movements include flexion, extension, and hyperextension, as well as dorsiflexion and plantar flexion. ==Additional images==