What defines the transverse division within each of the four sections?

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The four-section model of the liver is divided by two perpendicular planes: a vertical plane along the Cantlie line that splits the liver into right and left lobes, and a transverse plane that passes through the inferior vena cava to separate each side into superior and inferior parts. The plane through the IVC is the key for the transverse division because the IVC lies in a central, consistent position behind the liver, making it a reliable landmark to define the upper versus lower portions across all sections. This is why the transverse division within each of the four sections is defined by an imaginary plane through the IVC. A plane through the gallbladder fossa, the hepatic artery, or the portal veins does not provide the standard, widely used landmark for this specific superior–inferior partition.