The term meaning situated nearest the midline or beginning of a body structure is proximal. Proximal is a medical term frequently used to mention to the distance of a body part such as shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, fingers etc. in respects to its contiguity from the center of the body, normally the torso. In most circumstances, torso as the center point and the arms and legs as connections that prolong from the center. The further away an attachment or body part is from the center shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, fingers the more distal it is and the closer the body part is to the center the more proximal it is. Therefore, when looking at the center of the human body, the shoulder is proximal in closer proximity to the torso when related to the elbow which is further away.
