Caudal

Caudalis

Definition

Caudal means towards the tail or away from the head-end of the body. It is commonly used interchangeably with the term ‘inferior’, when the body is in its anatomical position.

Both caudal (away from the head-end / towards the tail) and cranial (towards the head-end) describe location of structures along the long axis of the body. For example, the legs are caudally situated compared to the arms, which are cranially (or rostrally) located.

References

Text written by Muhammad A. Javaid, MD, PhD © 2023 IMAIOS.

  • Drake, R.L., Vogl, A.W. and Mitchell, A.W.M. (2009). ‘Chapter 1: The Body’ in Gray’s anatomy for Students. (2nd ed.) Philadelphia PA 19103-2899: Elsevier, pp. 6.

  • SEER Training Modules, Intro to the Human Body, Anatomical Terminology. U. S. National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute. February 2nd, 2023 < https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/body/terminology.html>