Anterior and posterior

Anterior and posterior are terms used to describe the position of body parts. Anterior describes something that is at the front of the body. Posterior indicates that something is at the back of the body.

Example

An example of the use of these terms is that the heart lies anterior to the spine, meaning it is located at the front of the body in the chest. The spine lies posterior to the breastbone because it is at the back of the body.

These designations are also used to indicate the front (anterior side) or back (posterior side) of a single body part, such as the shoulder.

These terms are mainly used by (para-)medical professionals, such as doctors and physiotherapists, to communicate more accurately about the location of an injury or problem. As a patient, you do not necessarily have to be familiar with these terms, although they can help you better understand a medical report.