anterolateraalse

Anterolateraalse is a term used in anatomy and clinical contexts to describe a location or pathway toward the front and side of a body region. In many languages, including Dutch, the form anterolateraalse serves as the inflected adjective for anteriorolateral structures or surfaces. It is typically used in anatomical descriptions to convey both frontward and outward orientation.

In anatomy, the anterolateral region can refer to surfaces or compartments that are situated toward the front and side of a structure. For example, clinicians may describe the anterolateral chest wall, abdomen, or thigh to specify areas that lie neither strictly anterior nor strictly lateral, but in between. The exact borders of anterolateral regions depend on the anatomical context and the structure being described.

In neurology and neuroanatomy, the term most often appears in reference to the anterolateral system (ALS). This pain and temperature pathway travels from the body through the spinal cord's anterolateral funiculus to the thalamus and higher brain centers. The ALS includes the spinothalamic tract and related projections, and it contrasts with the dorsal column–medial lemniscus pathway, which carries fine touch and proprioception. Clinically, lesions affecting the anterolateral system can produce contralateral pain and temperature loss below the level of the lesion, with preservation of other sensory modalities depending on the site and extent of injury.

Overall, anterolateraalse describes front-and-side anatomical relationships and is most commonly encountered in descriptive anatomy and neuroanatomy.