X is related posteriorly to Y
I asked this question in the English language section but was advised to repost this question in this section instead.
So, if "X is posterior to Y" means "X is behind Y".
Then, if the statement is "X is related posteriorly to Y", does it mean:
"X is behind Y" or
"Y is behind X"?
As for "Posteriorly, X is related to Y", does it mean:
"X is behind Y" or
"Y is behind X"?
These sentences were written as such in several anatomy textbooks.
Eg 1 "The iliopsoas is related anteriorly to the fascia lata and the femoral artery, and posteriorly to the capsule of the hip joint."
Eg 2 "Sigmoid and rectum are related anteriorly to the bladder."
Eg 3 "Medially, this muscle is related to the bodies of the lumbar vertebrae and vessels." (My interpretation: The muscle is on the outer/lateral side whereas the vertebrae/vessels are on the inner/medial side).
In Eg 1, the usage of "related anteriorly to" in this sentence seems to imply that the iliopsoas is in between the fascia lata/femoral artery and the hip joint, whereas, in Eg 2, the sentence seems to mean that the bladder is in front of the sigmoid and rectum.
However, if "related anteriorly to" means the same as "anterior to"/"in front of", then these sentences would be wrong, wouldn't they? Eg 1 would instead mean the iliopsoas is in front of the fascia lata/femoral artery but behind the hip joint. Eg 2 would instead mean sigmoid/rectum are in front of the bladder.
Thank you for your explanation.
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The confusion arises from unnecessary use of Latin terms, especially their -ly forms, and the word order. All this can be simply made more clear.
Eg 1. The iliopsoas is related anteriorly to the fascia lata and the femoral artery, and posteriorly to the capsule of the hip joint.
In the front of the iliopsoas, there are fascia lata and femoral artery, and behind it, the capsule of the hip joint.
Eg 2. "Sigmoid and rectum are related anteriorly to the bladder.
In the front of the sigmoid and rectum lies the bladder.
Eg 3. "Medially, this muscle is related to the bodies of the lumbar vertebrae and vessels."
Medially to the muscle, there are bodies of the lumbar vertebrae and vessels.
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