Subluxation Practice Test

In an APOM view, the occiput is described using two directions to capture how the skull sits relative to the atlas on both sides. You assess which side of the occiput is shifted and whether that shift is toward the front (anterior) or back (posterior). That creates four regional descriptors: left anterior, left posterior, right anterior, right posterior. This two-axis, quadrant-style labeling lets you map rotational and tilt components at the craniovertebral junction, which is how the occiput often deviates in this projection. Other descriptions that use only a single axis (like just superior/inferior, or just medial/lateral) don’t fully describe the two-dimensional nature of occipital alignment seen on APOM, so the four-quadrant left/right with anterior/posterior on each side best fits what APOM is documenting.