Proximal and Distal

Proximal means closer to the site of attachment and distal means further from the site of attachment.

When referring to anatomical structures that have a beginning and an end or have a site of attachment, like limbs, the site of attachment or origin becomes the reference point.

Example: The knee joint is proximal to the ankle joint and the wrist is distal to the elbow.

Image 1: Proximal and distal on a human model