Transverse plane
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A transverse plane is a plane that is rotated 90° from two other planes.[1]
Anatomy
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The transverse plane is an anatomical plane that is perpendicular to the sagittal plane and the dorsal plane.[2] It is also called the axial plane or horizontal plane, especially in human anatomy, but horizontal plane can be misleading with other animals. The plane splits the body into a cranial (head) side and caudal (tail) side,[3] so in humans the plane will be horizontal (dividing the body into superior and inferior sections[4]) but in quadrupeds it will be vertical.
Human anatomy
Clinically relevant anatomical planes
- Transverse thoracic plane
- Xiphosternal plane (or xiphosternal junction)
- Transpyloric plane
- Subcostal plane
- Umbilical plane (or transumbilical plane)
- Supracristal plane
- Intertubercular plane (or transtubercular plane)
- Interspinous plane
Associated structures
- The transverse thoracic plane
- Plane through T4 & T5 vertebral junction and sternal angle of Louis.
- Marks the:
- Attachment of costal cartilage of rib 2 at the sternal angle;
- Aortic arch (beginning and end);
- Upper margin of SVC;
- Thoracic duct crossing;
- Tracheal bifurcation;
- Pulmonary trunk bifurcation;
- The xiphosternal plane (a.k.a. xiphosternal junction)
- Anterior, inferior limit of thoracic cavity;
- Marks the:
- Superior surface of the liver;
- Respiratory diaphragm;
- Inferior border of the heart;
- The transpyloric plane
- Plane located halfway between the jugular notch and the upper border of the symphysis pubis;
- Typically located at the lower border of L1;
- Cuts through the pylorus and the tips of the ninth costal cartilages;
- The subcostal plane
- Transverse plane through the inferior border of costal margin;
- Typically located at the superior border of L3, or transects L3;
- The umbilical plane (or transumbilical plane)
- Located at the level of L3/L4 vertebral junction or IV disc;
- The supracristal plane
- Located at the level of L4;
- Marks bifurcation of aorta;
- Most superior aspect of iliac crest;
- The intertubercular plane (a.k.a. Transtubercular plane)
- Located at the level of L5;
- Marks origin of IVC;
- The interspinous plane
- Transverse plane which transverses the anterior superior iliac spines.
- Typically located at the level of S1.
Engineering usages
- With gears a transverse plane is perpendicular to the axial plane and to the pitch plane.[5]
- With an MRI machine the plane perpendicular to the direction of the main magnetic field is called the transverse plane.[6]