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
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
