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Proximal

Contents of this page:

Illustrations

Anatomical landmarks, back view
Anatomical landmarks, back view
Anatomical landmarks, front view
Anatomical landmarks, front view

Definition    Return to top

Proximal means nearer to the center (trunk of the body) or to the point of attachment to the body. If another reference point is given, such as the heart, the proximal point of another organ or extremity is the point closest to the heart -- central rather than peripheral.

Update Date: 2/23/2009

Updated by: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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