What does proximal mean?

• A. Farther from the point of origin.
• B. Near the point of attachment or origin.
• C. Toward the belly.
• D. At the opposite end.

Answer: (B)

Proximal refers to a position that is closer to where a limb attaches to the body or closer to the body’s center/origin. For example, the shoulder is proximal to the elbow, and the thigh is proximal to the knee. This is about being near the attachment point, not about being toward the belly or at the far end of a limb. The opposite idea is distal, which means farther from the point of attachment.