Anatomy Abbreviations
70 abbreviations · part of Medical Abbreviations
Abbreviations for body regions, organ systems, vertebral levels, joints, ligaments, blood vessels and other anatomical structures as written in physical exam notes, imaging reports, operative notes and anatomy courses. Sides, limbs and the four abdominal quadrants are routinely abbreviated, and spinal levels follow a letter-number system (C for cervical, T for thoracic, L for lumbar, S for sacral). Where the same letters also name an unrelated condition, test or procedure, the entry explains how to tell them apart.
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Abd | Abdomen (abdominal) | Chart shorthand for the abdomen in exam notes, imaging orders and procedure documentation, as in "abd soft, nontender" or "CT abd/pelvis". |
| AC | Acromioclavicular (joint) | Small joint at the top of the shoulder where the outer end of the clavicle meets the acromion of the scapula. |
| ACL | Anterior cruciate ligament | Ligament inside the knee running from the femur to the front of the tibia, preventing the shin from sliding forward and controlling rotation. |
| ANS | Autonomic nervous system | Part of the nervous system that controls involuntary functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, sweating, pupil size and bladder emptying. |
| Ao | Aorta | Body's largest artery, carrying oxygenated blood from the left ventricle through the ascending aorta, arch and descending thoracic aorta into the abdomen, where it… |
| ASIS | Anterior superior iliac spine | Bony point at the front end of the iliac crest, easily felt at the front of the hip. |
| ATFL | Anterior talofibular ligament | Ligament on the outer ankle connecting the fibula to the talus, the weakest of the lateral ankle ligaments and the first to tear when the foot rolls inward (inversion… |
| BBB | Blood-brain barrier | Selective barrier formed by tightly joined endothelial cells of brain capillaries, supported by astrocytes and pericytes, that blocks most large and water-soluble… |
| C-spine | Cervical spine | The seven vertebrae of the neck (C1 to C7) with their discs, ligaments and joints, which support the head and protect the cervical spinal cord. |
| C1 | First cervical vertebra (atlas) | Topmost vertebra, a ring of bone without a vertebral body or spinous process, which supports the skull and allows nodding. |
| C2 | Second cervical vertebra (axis) | Vertebra on which the atlas and skull rotate, distinguished by the dens (odontoid process), a peg of bone projecting upward through the ring of C1. |
| C5-C6 | Fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae (intervertebral level) | Spinal segment between the fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae, the most common site of cervical disc herniation and degenerative spondylosis because it carries the most… |
| C7 | Seventh cervical vertebra (vertebra prominens) | Lowest cervical vertebra, recognized by its long spinous process, which forms the visible bump at the base of the neck. |
| CBD | Common bile duct | Duct formed by the union of the common hepatic duct and cystic duct that carries bile to the duodenum through the ampulla of Vater, alongside the pancreatic duct. |
| CFA | Common femoral artery | Continuation of the external iliac artery below the inguinal ligament, felt at the groin as the femoral pulse. |
| CMC | Carpometacarpal (joint) | Joints between the wrist (carpal) bones and the bases of the metacarpals. |
| CN | Cranial nerve | Any of the twelve pairs of nerves arising directly from the brain and brainstem rather than the spinal cord, numbered I to XII with Roman numerals. |
| CNS | Central nervous system | The brain and spinal cord, which integrate sensory information and control movement, thought and the body's automatic functions. |
| CVA | Costovertebral angle | Angle on each side of the back formed by the twelfth rib and the lumbar spine, overlying the kidney. |
| DIP | Distal interphalangeal (joint) | Joint closest to the fingertip, between the middle and distal phalanges. |
| DP | Dorsalis pedis (artery or pulse) | Artery on the top of the foot, a continuation of the anterior tibial artery, whose pulse is felt just lateral to the extensor hallucis longus tendon. |
| DRG | Dorsal root ganglion | Cluster of sensory nerve cell bodies on the dorsal root of each spinal nerve, just outside the spinal cord. |
| EAC | External auditory canal | Passage from the outer ear to the eardrum, about 2.5 cm long in adults and lined by skin that produces cerumen (earwax). |
| ECA | External carotid artery | Branch of the common carotid artery that supplies the face, scalp, tongue, throat, thyroid and dura. |
| EJ | External jugular (vein) | Superficial neck vein that crosses the sternocleidomastoid muscle and is often visible under the skin. |
| EOM | Extraocular muscles (movements) | The six muscles that move each eye (four rectus and two oblique muscles), and the matching movement test. |
| GB | Gallbladder | Pear-shaped organ beneath the liver that stores and concentrates bile and squeezes it into the duodenum after fatty meals. |
| ICA | Internal carotid artery | Branch of the common carotid artery that ascends through the skull base to supply most of the brain's anterior circulation and, through its ophthalmic branch, the eye. |
| ICS | Intercostal space | Gap between two adjacent ribs, containing intercostal muscles, nerves and vessels; each space is numbered for the rib above it. |
| IJ | Internal jugular (vein) | Large vein in the neck that drains the brain, face and neck into the brachiocephalic vein, running beside the carotid artery beneath the sternocleidomastoid muscle. |
| IMA | Inferior mesenteric artery | Branch of the abdominal aorta arising around the third lumbar level that supplies the distal transverse colon, descending and sigmoid colon and upper rectum. |
| IT band | Iliotibial band | Thick band of fascia running down the outside of the thigh from the hip to just below the knee, formed partly by the tensor fasciae latae and gluteus maximus. |
| L-spine | Lumbar spine | The five large vertebrae of the lower back (L1 to L5), which bear most of the body's weight and allow bending and twisting. |
| L4-L5 | Fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae (intervertebral level) | Lumbar segment carrying heavy loads and frequent motion, one of the two most common levels for disc herniation, spinal stenosis and degenerative spondylolisthesis. |
| L5-S1 | Fifth lumbar and first sacral vertebrae (lumbosacral junction) | Junction between the lowest lumbar vertebra and the sacrum, where the mobile spine meets the rigid pelvis. |
| LCL | Lateral collateral ligament | Cord-like ligament on the outer side of the knee connecting the femur to the head of the fibula and resisting forces that push the knee outward (varus stress). |
| LE | Lower extremity | Clinical term for the leg from hip to foot, used in physical exam notes, vascular studies and orders such as "LE venous duplex". |
| LLQ | Left lower quadrant | Lower left region of the abdomen containing the descending and sigmoid colon, left ovary and fallopian tube and the left ureter. |
| LN | Lymph node | Small bean-shaped organs along lymphatic vessels that filter lymph and house immune cells. |
| LUQ | Left upper quadrant | Upper left region of the abdomen containing the stomach, spleen, body and tail of the pancreas, left kidney and splenic flexure of the colon. |
| MAL | Midaxillary line | Imaginary vertical line running down from the center of the armpit on each side of the chest. |
| MCA | Middle cerebral artery | Largest terminal branch of the internal carotid artery, supplying the lateral surface of each cerebral hemisphere, including motor and sensory areas for the face and… |
| MCL | Medial collateral ligament | Broad ligament on the inner side of the knee connecting the femur to the tibia and resisting forces that push the knee inward (valgus stress). |
| MCP | Metacarpophalangeal (joint) | Knuckle joints where the hand bones (metacarpals) meet the finger bones (proximal phalanges). |
| MSK | Musculoskeletal | Relating to the muscles, bones, joints, tendons, ligaments and associated tissues. |
| MTP | Metatarsophalangeal (joint) | Joints where the long bones of the foot (metatarsals) meet the toes. |
| NMJ | Neuromuscular junction | Synapse where a motor nerve ending meets a skeletal muscle fiber and releases acetylcholine to trigger contraction. |
| PCA | Posterior cerebral artery | Paired terminal branch of the basilar artery that supplies the occipital lobes, the undersides of the temporal lobes and parts of the thalamus and midbrain. |
| PCL | Posterior cruciate ligament | Strongest ligament of the knee, running from the femur to the back of the tibia and preventing the shin from sliding backward. |
| PIP | Proximal interphalangeal (joint) | Middle joint of each finger, between the proximal and middle phalanges. |
| PNS | Peripheral nervous system | All nerves and ganglia outside the brain and spinal cord, including the cranial nerves (apart from the optic nerves, which are CNS tissue) and 31 pairs of spinal nerves. |
| PT | Posterior tibial (artery or pulse) | Artery that runs down the back of the calf and passes behind the medial malleolus of the ankle, where its pulse is felt. |
| RC | Rotator cuff | Group of four muscles and their tendons (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis) that surround the shoulder joint, holding the humeral head in the… |
| RLQ | Right lower quadrant | Lower right region of the abdomen, containing the cecum, appendix, terminal ileum, right ovary and fallopian tube and the right ureter. |
| RUQ | Right upper quadrant | One of four regions of the abdomen formed by imaginary vertical and horizontal lines through the navel. |
| S1 | First sacral vertebra or nerve root | Uppermost segment of the sacrum, and the nerve root that exits through the first sacral foramen. |
| SB | Small bowel | The small intestine, several meters long, running from the pylorus to the ileocecal valve and made up of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum. |
| SCM | Sternocleidomastoid (muscle) | Neck muscle running from the sternum and clavicle to the mastoid process behind the ear, turning the head to the opposite side and flexing the neck. |
| SFA | Superficial femoral artery | Main artery of the thigh after the common femoral artery divides, running through the adductor canal to become the popliteal artery behind the knee. |
| SI | Sacroiliac (joint) | Joint between the sacrum and each ilium of the pelvis, transmitting the weight of the upper body to the legs with very little movement. |
| SMA | Superior mesenteric artery | Major branch of the abdominal aorta, arising just below the celiac trunk, that supplies the small intestine from the distal duodenum through roughly the proximal… |
| SNS | Sympathetic nervous system | Division of the autonomic nervous system that prepares the body for stress or exertion by raising heart rate and blood pressure, dilating pupils and airways, diverting… |
| SVC | Superior vena cava | Large vein that returns blood from the head, neck, arms and upper chest to the right atrium. |
| T-spine | Thoracic spine | The twelve vertebrae of the mid-back (T1 to T12), each joined to a pair of ribs, making this the stiffest and best-protected part of the spine. |
| TFCC | Triangular fibrocartilage complex | Cartilage and ligament structure on the pinky side of the wrist that cushions the ulna and stabilizes the distal radioulnar joint. |
| TI | Terminal ileum | Final segment of the small intestine, joining the colon at the ileocecal valve in the right lower quadrant. |
| TM | Tympanic membrane | The eardrum, a thin membrane separating the ear canal from the middle ear that vibrates with sound and passes it to the ossicles. |
| TMJ | Temporomandibular joint | Hinge-and-glide joint connecting the lower jaw (mandible) to the temporal bone just in front of each ear, used for chewing, speaking and yawning. |
| UCL | Ulnar collateral ligament | Ligament on the inner side of the elbow, or at the base of the thumb, that stabilizes the joint against outward stress. |
| UE | Upper extremity | Clinical term for the arm from shoulder to hand, used in exam documentation, rehabilitation and imaging orders. |
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