anteroposteriore

Anteroposteriore is the Italian term that corresponds to the English anatomical direction anteroposterior (AP). It describes a orientation or relationship from the front (anterior) toward the back (posterior) of the body. In anatomical descriptions, a structure may be said to lie anteroposteriore to another if it is closer to the front than to the back.

In radiology, anteroposteriore refers to a projection in which the X-ray beam passes from the anterior surface to the posterior surface of the body. The common opposite projection is posteroanterior (PA), where the beam travels from back to front. AP views are often used when a patient cannot stand or position themselves for a PA view; however, AP projections can magnify posterior structures such as the heart, which may affect image interpretation and often requires compensatory considerations.

The term is also used for measuring dimensions along the front-to-back axis, such as the anteroposterior diameter of the chest or the pelvis. These measurements appear in clinical assessments, imaging reports, and anthropometric or obstetric contexts to describe body proportions or to monitor development and pathology.

Etymology traces back to ante- meaning “before” or “front” and posterior meaning “behind,” combined to describe a front-to-back orientation. The concept is widely used in medical language across languages, including Italian, to specify spatial relationships and imaging techniques.