Cardinal Planes
Sports Medicine 101
Josh Petersen M.Ed., LAT, ATC
Anatomical Position
- Standing upright
- Legs together knees
straight
- Toes pointing
forwards
- Arms by the sides
- Palms facing
forwards
Planes of
Movement
• Sagittal (Median) Plane
• Separates body in equal
left and right halves
• Frontal (Coronal) Plane
• Separates body into equal
front and back halves
• Transverse (Horizontal) Plane
• Separates body into top
(superior) and
bottom(Inferior) halves
Sagittal (Median) Plane
• Hip Joint
• Flexion and Extension
• Knee
• Flexion and Extension
• Ankle
• Plantar Flexion and Dorsiflexion
• Shoulder
• Flexion and Extension
• Elbow
• Flexion and Extension
• Wrist
• Flexion and Extension
• Intervertebral (Spine
• Flexion and Extension
Frontal (Coronal) Plane
• Hip
• Abduction and Adduction
• Shoulder
• Abduction and Adduction
• Ankle
• Inversion and Eversion
• Wrist
• Ulnar and Radial Deviation
• Intervertebral (Spine)
• Lateral Flexion
Transverse (Horizontal) Plane
• Hip
• Internal and External Rotation
• Shoulder
• Internal and External Rotation
• Horizontal Abduction and Adduction
• Radioulnar
• Forearm pronation and Supination
• Trunk
• Rotation
• Intervertebral (Spine)
• Rotation