Section III. PROJECTION, CENTRAL RAY, AND BREATHING TECHNIQUE
TERMINOLOGY
3-21. PROJECTION TERMINOLOGY
a. Frontal Projections. The body positions discussed earlier prepare the
patient for certain projections. That is, the patient is so positioned that the central ray
will travel in the desired direction. The various projections may be grouped into four
major categories frontal, lateral, oblique, and decubitus projections. The frontal
(front to back or back to front) projections are the anteroposterior (AP) and
posteroanterior (PA) projections. (The term frontal is used to denote AP or PA
projections because the frontal (or coronal) plane divides the body into anterior and
posterior portions.)
frontal or coronal plane. the plane dividing the body into anterior and posterior
portions.
frontal projection: an AP or PA projection.
(1) Anteroposterior projection. In the AP projection (figures 3-36 and 3-37), the central
ray enters the front (anterior) body surface and exits the back (posterior) surface.
Figure 3-36. The dorsal recumbent position allows the central ray to travel in an
anterior to posterior surface, producing an AP projection.
Figure 3-37. The patient on her back for an AP hip.
MD0961
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