Frontal Plane

Frontal Plane (Coronal Plane): The frontal plane divides the body into front (anterior) and back (posterior) halves. Generally, frontal plane motion refers to motion that is side to side and up and down.

Frontal refers to the "front," and coronal refers to the crown. This is the plane parallel to the front of the face or crown.

• Human Anatomy and Motion: Frontal plane motion occurs when a bone and joint move parallel to the frontal plane. Generally, frontal plane motion refers to motion that is side to side and up and down, such as jumping jacks, side-stepping, lateral raises, military presses, and wide-grip pull-ups.
• A Tip for Students: Movements are categorized by plane based on the movement of bones and joints, and not external load. For example, a deadlift is a sagittal plane motion because the hips are performing extension (a back-to-front and up-and-back movement) despite the bar moving parallel to the frontal plane. A frontal plane motion for the lower body would be side-stepping , in which the hips are moving laterally into "hip abduction."
• Axis and Planes of Motion: The frontal plane includes joint motion around a front-to-back, or "anterior to posterior," axis. This is also known as a "sagittal axis," although it should not be confused with motion parallel to the sagittal plane. Frontal plane motion occurs at a joint as if a pin were stuck through it from front to back.

Note: The muscles that move the human body in the frontal plane generally have fibers that run up and down on the sides of the body (e.g. the deltoids )

Additional Planes of Motion:

• Sagittal
• Transverse
• Scapular

For more information on the Planes of Motion (including video lecture), check out:

• Lesson 2: Planes of Motion

Examples of transverse plane motions and exercises.

• Pull-ups
• Side-stepping
• Lateral lunge
• Side plank

Frontal Plane Joint Actions

Hip and Shoulder

• Abduction
• Adduction

Spine

• Lateral Flexion

Scapula

• Upward rotation
• Downward Rotation
• Elevation
• Depression

Ankle

• Eversion
• Inversion