What is the Difference Between Sagittal and Coronal Plane

The key difference between sagittal and coronal plane is that the sagittal plane divides the body into left and right parts while the coronal plane divides the body into anterior and posterior parts.

A plane is a two-dimensional slice. Anatomical planes are different lines that help to divide the human body. The human body moves in three dimensions. Therefore, there are three different planes of motion as sagittal, coronal, and transverse. Many different movements take place in each plane at the joints. Sagittal plane is a vertical line that divides the human body into left and right portions. Coronal plane is a vertical line that divides the human body into anterior and posterior portions. Transverse plane, on the other hand, is a horizontal line that divides the human body into upper and lower portions.

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Sagittal Plane
3. What is Coronal Plane
4. Similarities – Sagittal and Coronal Plane
5. Sagittal vs Coronal Plane in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Sagittal vs Coronal Plane

What is Sagittal Plane?

Sagittal plane is an anatomical plane that helps to divide the body in half as left and right parts. The plane lies in the center of the body and separate into two halves. It lies perpendicular to the ground and divides through the midline of the body along the naval and spine. Moreover, it is a plane that combines with the umbilical plane, which defines the four quadrants of the abdomen.

Sagittal vs Coronal Plane in Tabular Form

Figure 01: Sagittal Plane

The movements of the sagittal plane mainly include flexion, extension, and hyperextension; additionally, it includes dorsiflexion and plantar flexion. Extension takes place when the angle between two adjacent segments in the body increases due to the movement of ventral surfaces away from each other. Flexion takes place when the angle between two adjacent segments in the body decreases due to the movement of ventral surfaces towards each other. Dorsiflexion is the movement of the top of the foot toward the shin at the ankle. Plantarflexion is the movement of the sole of the foot downward, such as pointing the toes.

What is Coronal Plane?

Coronal plane is the vertical plane that divides the body into anterior and posterior parts. It is an example of the longitudinal plane since it is perpendicular to the transverse plane. This plane divides the front and back halves of the body by slicing through the shoulders to separate the anterior and posterior sections.

Sagittal and Coronal Plane - Side by Side Comparison

Figure 02: Coronal Plane

Lateral movements that consist of side motions occur through the coronal plane. The movements of the coronal plane involve abduction, adduction, depression, elevation, eversion, and inversion. Abduction and adduction are involved in the movement of body parts towards and away from an imaginary center line. Abduction is the moving of body parts away from the center line, and adduction is the moving of body parts towards the center line and to the other side of the body. Abduction and adduction movements mainly occur through hip and shoulder joints. Other movements include finger movements. Depression is a motion where the body part moves downward along the coronal plane. Elevation is the motion involving the body part moving in an upward direction along the coronal plane. Eversion is the lifting of the lateral edge of the foot while shifting the body weight to the inside. Inversion is the lifting of the lateral edge of the foot by shifting the body weight to the outside.

What are the Similarities Between Sagittal and Coronal Plane?

Sagittal and coronal planes are anatomical planes in the human body.
Both divide the body into two parts vertically.
They help in body movement.
Moreover, they require joints for movements.
Both are perpendicular to the transverse plane.

What is the Difference Between Sagittal and Coronal Plane?

The sagittal plane divides the body into left and right parts while the coronal plane divides the body into anterior and posterior parts. Thus, this is the key difference between sagittal and coronal plane. The sagittal plane involves in flexion, extension, hyperextension, dorsiflexion, and plantar flexion. Meanwhile, the coronal plane involves in the abduction, adduction, depression, elevation, eversion, and inversion.

The below infographic presents the differences between sagittal and coronal plane in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Sagittal vs Coronal Plane

Sagittal and coronal planes are two anatomical planes in the human body. Both sagittal and coronal planes divide the body vertically. The sagittal plane divides the body into left and right parts while the coronal plane divides the body into anterior and posterior parts. The movements of this sagittal plane involve flexion, extension, hyperextension, dorsiflexion, and plantar flexion. The movements of the coronal plane involve abduction, adduction, depression, elevation, eversion, and inversion. So, this summarizes the difference between sagittal and coronal plane.