Prone position
Positio prona
- Latin synonym: Pronus
- Synonym: Prone
Definition
Prone position refers to a position of the human body, where a person is lying face-down, resting on his chest and anterior abdomen, while the back faces upwards.
The head is in a neutral position with NOT excessive flexion, extension or rotation.
The arms are abducted <90 degrees, elbows flexed and forearms and hands at the same horizontal level, with palms facing downwards.
Prone positioning of a patient is used in surgeries where the surgeon needs to access the dorsal aspect of patient’s body for operating on the spine, neck or shoulder regions.
References
Text written by Muhammad A. Javaid, MD, PhD © 2023 IMAIOS.
Lena, E-F. (2021). The ultimate guide to the prone position in ‘STERIS Healthcare’. Available at URL: https://www.steris.com/healthcare/knowledge-center/surgical-equipment/prone-position [accessed on Feb 10th, 2023]
White, T.D. and Folkens, P.A. (2005). ‘Chapter 6: ANATQMICAL TERMINQLQGY’ in The Human Bone Manual. Editor(s): White, T.D. and Folkens, P.A., Academic Press, pp. 67-74. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780120884674500090
