Anatomic landmarks

Anatomic landmarks are recognizable bodily structures or points used as reference locations for describing anatomy, guiding procedures, and interpreting medical images.

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Surface anatomy: The study of external body features and their relationships to deeper structures. It uses visible landmarks to estimate the location of structures beneath the skin.
Anatomical position: The standardized body posture used as the reference for describing anatomical relationships. Landmark locations are described consistently relative to this conventional posture.
Bony landmark: A distinctive point or feature on a bone used to identify position or attachment. Bones often provide stable, palpable reference points for locating nearby structures.
Anatomical coordinate system: A system of axes and coordinates used to specify positions within the body. Coordinate systems encode location numerically, while landmarks identify recognizable reference points.
Physical examination: The assessment of a person's body through observation, palpation, percussion, and auscultation. Clinicians locate findings by comparing them with palpable or visible landmarks.
Anatomical terminology: The standardized vocabulary used to describe body structures, positions, and relationships. Landmarks become useful when their locations are expressed in shared anatomical terms.
Dermatome: An area of skin supplied mainly by sensory fibers from one spinal nerve. Dermatomes provide mapped surface territories for describing sensory findings.
Surgical navigation: Technology that tracks instruments and displays their position relative to a patient's anatomy during surgery. Navigation can use tracked coordinates rather than relying only on visible or palpable landmarks.
Venipuncture: The puncture of a vein, usually to collect blood or establish vascular access. Surface landmarks help identify suitable veins and guide needle placement.
Anatomical plane: An imaginary flat surface used to divide or orient the body and its structures. Landmarks can identify where a plane intersects the body.