Anterior or ventral - front (example, the kneecap is located on the anterior side of the leg). Posterior or dorsal - back (example, the shoulder blades are located on the posterior side of the body). Medial - toward the midline of the body (example, the middle toe is located at the medial side of the foot).
Anterior refers to the side of the structure facing up in the standard anatomical position while posterior refers to the bottom side. ... Dorsal and ventral are sometimes used in place of anterior and posterior, respectively. Dorsal means the back side or upper side, while ventral means the frontal or lower side.
