Coronal planes are defined as which of the following?

• A. Vertical planes that pass through the body and divide it into anterior and posterior sections
• B. Vertical planes that run parallel to the sagittal plane
• C. Planes that are at right angles to the sagittal plane and divide into superior and inferior
• D. Vertical planes that pass through the body dividing it into anterior and posterior sections

Answer: (A)

The coronal plane is a vertical plane that runs from head to toe and divides the body into front (anterior) and back (posterior) portions. It is perpendicular to the sagittal plane, which splits the body into left and right. So the best description is a vertical front–back division through the body. Planes parallel to the sagittal plane would separate left from right, not front from back, and planes at right angles to the sagittal plane would separate top from bottom (transverse plane).