A radial plane is an

anatomical plane An anatomical plane is a hypothetical plane used to transect the body, in order to describe the location of structures or the direction of movements. In human and animal anatomy, three principal planes are used: * The sagittal plane or latera ...

that is used to describe a virtual slice along a

radius In classical geometry, a radius ( : radii) of a circle or sphere is any of the line segments from its center to its perimeter, and in more modern usage, it is also their length. The name comes from the latin ''radius'', meaning ray but also the ...

of a somewhat

cylindrical A cylinder (from ) has traditionally been a three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a prism with a circle as its base. A cylinder may also be defined as an in ...

shaped body part.Gluckman H, Pontes CC, Du Toit J. Radial plane tooth position and bone wall dimensions in the anterior maxilla: a CBCT classification for immediate implant placement. ''Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry'' 2018:120(1);50-56 The radial planes need not be perfectly drawn to overlap on an exact intersection point, particularly when the body part being sectioned is not a perfect cylinder, such as in the case of the

maxilla The maxilla (plural: ''maxillae'' ) in vertebrates is the upper fixed (not fixed in Neopterygii) bone of the jaw formed from the fusion of two maxillary bones. In humans, the upper jaw includes the hard palate in the front of the mouth. The ...

and

mandible In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movable bon ...

Usefulness

The radial plane can be useful because certain anatomical elements repeat in a circumferential manner (such as around the curvature of the dental arch (i.e. the

jaw The jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term ''jaws'' is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serv ...

) and to speak of these entities using parallel planes becomes cumbersome and inaccurate. For instance, the segment of bone on the outer circumference of each individual tooth is referred to as the

facial A facial is a family of skin care treatments for the face, including steam, exfoliation (physical and chemical), extraction, creams, lotions, facial masks, peels, and massage. They are normally performed in beauty salons, but are also a ...

plate of bone. Because the facial plate of bone is

anterior Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...

to the

incisor Incisors (from Latin ''incidere'', "to cut") are the front teeth present in most mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and on the mandible below. Humans have a total of eight (two on each side, top and bottom). Opossums have 18, w ...

s (in the front of the mouth) but

lateral Lateral is a geometric term of location which may refer to: Healthcare *Lateral (anatomy), an anatomical direction * Lateral cricoarytenoid muscle * Lateral release (surgery), a surgical procedure on the side of a kneecap Phonetics *Lateral co ...

to the

premolar The premolars, also called premolar teeth, or bicuspids, are transitional teeth located between the canine and molar teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per quadrant in the permanent set of teeth, making eight premolars total in the mouth ...

s and molars (in the back of the mouth), to visualize the facial plate of bone on various teeth will require sagittal slices for the former but coronal slices for the latter. To achieve greater uniformity and diminished confusion, simply speaking of radial slices provides a satisfactory solution for all teeth in both (upper and lower) arches. Previous to the advent of this terminology, this plane was referred to as the axial plane relative to the body of the jawbone. It was believed that the jawbone was straightened out as though it were a straight tube, and then transverse (axial) sections were made of that tube.

References

{{Authority control Anatomical planes