Which three image planes constitute the standard MRI imaging orientations?

• A. Axial, Sagittal, Coronal
• B. Sagittal, Coronal, Oblique
• C. Coronal, Axial, Transverse
• D. Transverse, Frontal, Lateral

Answer: (A)

MRI images are organized around three mutually perpendicular reference planes: axial, sagittal, and coronal. These planes slice the body in three orthogonal directions: axial slices run horizontally, giving cross-sections from top to bottom; sagittal slices run front to back, separating left and right; coronal slices run vertically from side to side, separating front from back. This combination provides a consistent framework to describe location and orientation in the body, so clinicians can say, for example, “in the axial plane at this level” and know exactly what is being viewed. While some texts use the term transverse for axial, the standard set used in practice is axial, sagittal, and coronal. The other options either include oblique views or non-planar terms like lateral, which aren’t part of the conventional reference planes.