Transverse plane

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A transverse plane is a plane that is rotated 90° from two other planes.^[1]

Transverse plane
Details
Identifiers
Latin	plana transversalia
TA98	A01.2.00.006
TA2	52
FMA	12247 71928, 12247
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

The transverse plane is an anatomical plane that is perpendicular to the sagittal plane and the coronal 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.

• 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

• 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.

• 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]

In quadrupeds the coronal plane is called the dorsal plane.

• Anatomical terms of location
• Horizontal plane
• Coronal plane
• Sagittal plane