Prone position
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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- lying face downward; prostrate
- bending forward; inclined
Word history
The word prone, meaning "naturally inclined to something, apt, liable,", is recorded in English since 1382; the meaning "lying face-down" is first recorded in 1578 but is also referred to as "lying down" or "going prone".
It derives from the Latin pronus "bent forward, inclined to," from adverbial form of the prefix pro- "forward." Both the original, literal and the derived figurative sense were used in Latin, but the figurative is older in English.
Anatomy
In anatomy, the prone position is a position of the body lying face down. It is opposed to the supine position which is face up. Using the terms defined in the anatomical position, the ventral side is down, and the dorsal side is up.
With respect to the forearm, prone refers to that configuration where the palm of the hand is directed posteriorly, and the radius and ulna are crossed.
