ANTH 6-Forensic Anthropology
Sectional and Directional Terminology
Handout (material adapted from Bass 1995; Burns, 1999)

BASIC SECTIONAL TERMINOLOGY

Coronal--a frontal section (see frontal)
Frontal--a midline section cut from side to side
Sagittal--a midline section cut from front to back
Transverse--a section cut parallel to the floor
Vertical--a section cut at 90° to the floor

BASIC DIRECTIONAL TERMINOLOGY

Anterior--toward the front
Axillary--the armpit area
Caudal--in the area of the tail (or coccyx in humans)
Cranial--toward the head
Distal--away from the body (usu. in long bones)
Dorsal--toward the back of the body, hand; or top of foot
External--outside the body
Frontal--toward the front
Inferior--below
Internal--inside the body
Lateral--toward the side
Medial--toward the midline
Posterior--toward the back
Palmar (volar)--toward the palm of the hand
Plantar (volar)--toward the sole of the foot
Profundus (deep)--deep inside the body
Proximal--toward the body (usu. in long bones)
Radial--toward the radius; lateral side of forearm
Superficial--toward the surface of the body
Superior--above
Ulnar--toward the ulna; medial side of the forearm
Ventral--toward the abdomen
Volar-palm of hand or sole of foot

BASIC STRUCTURAL TERMINOLOGY FOR BONES

Ala--a winglike structure, e.g. ala of sphenoid
Apophysis--a prominence formed directly upon a bone, an outgrowth of bone with an independent center of ossification, e.g. basilar apophysis of occipital
Articular surface a joint--the place at which one bone comes in contact with another bone; normally smooth, dense, and covered with articular cartilage
Calvaria--the uppermost portion of the skull, the cranial vault
Canal--a narrow passage or channel, e.g. auditory canal of the temporal bone
Capitulum--a small, rounded articular end of a bone, e.g. capitulum on the distal humerus
Cavity--a hollow space, e.g. cranial cavity or glenoid cavity
Condyle--a rounded articular projection, e.g. mandibular or occipital condyle
Conoid--cone-shaped, e.g. conoid tubercle of the lateral clavicle
Coronoid--shaped like a crow’s beak, e.g. coronoid process of the ulna or mandible
Cranium--the bones of the head, collectively; more specifically, the bones of the head excluding the face
Crest--a sharp border or ridge; usually prominent, e.g. interosseous crest of the radius
Dens-tooth-shaped process (a.k.a. odontoid process), e.g. dens epistropheus
Diaphysis--shaft of a long-bone, a primary center of ossification, e.g. femoral diaphysis
Diploë--lattice-like bone, e.g. cranial diploë
Epicondyle--a raised area on or above a condyle, e.g. lateral epicondyle of humerus
Epiphysis--1. a secondary center of ossification that fuses to the primary center when growth is complete, e.g. medial epiphysis of the clavicle--2. also the extremity of a bone expanded for articulation
Facet--a small, smooth, somewhat flat articular surface, e.g. superior and inferior articular facets of the thoracic vertebra
Fissure--a narrow, slit-like opening, e.g. superior orbital fissure
Foramen--a round or oval hole passing through a bone or a membranous structure, e.g. supraorbital foramen
Fossa--a shallow depression; sometimes for articulation, e.g. mandibular fossa
Fovea--a pit or cup-like depression, e.g. fovea capitis in the femoral head for attachment of the ligamentum teres
Glenoid--having the appearance of a socket, e.g. glenoid fossa of scapula
Groove--a furrow or sulcus, e.g. lacrimal groove
Head--a rounded, smooth articular eminence on the neck of a bone, e.g. femoral head
Line--a narrow ridge of bone; less prominent than a crest, e.g. temporal line
Meatus--a canal-like passageway, e.g. auditory meatus
Malleolus--a rounded bony prominence, e.g. medial malleolus
Notch--an indentation at the edge of a structure, e.g. clavicular or costal notch
Odontoid--tooth-like; a small strong process, e.g. odontoid process of axis
Pit--a tiny hole or pocket, e.g. costal pit on thoracic vertebra
Process--any kind of bony projection, e.g. alveolar, mastoid, or coronoid process
Promontory--a projecting part, e.g. sacral promontory
Ramus--an arm-like bar of bone, e.g. mandibular ramus
Ridge--a rough, narrow elevation extending some distance; e.g. alveolar ridge
Shaft--the major portion of a long bone, e.g. femoral shaft
Sinus--a cavity within bone filled with air and lined with mucous membrane, e.g. nasal sinus
Spine--a sharp, slender projection, e.g. nasal spine
Spinous process--a long, pointed projection, e.g. spinous process of a vertebra
Sulcus--a groove, e.g. the sagittal sulcus of temporal
Styloid process --a small pointed projection, e.g. styloid process of ulna or radius
Trochanter--a very large prominence for muscle attachment and bone articulation, e.g. greater and lesser trochanter of femur
Trochlea--a pulley, e.g. trochlea of the distal humerus
Tubercle--a small, rounded projection or process, e.g. dorsal tubercle of radius
Tuberosity--large, rounded projection or eminence (it may have a roughened surface), e.g. ischial tuberosity
 

(courtesy Dr. Lorraine Heidecker)
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