Distal

Distal is a term used in anatomy and medicine to describe the position of structures that are situated away from the center of the body or the point of attachment. It is the opposite of proximal, which refers to structures closer to the midline or origin.

Definition

In anatomical terms, "distal" refers to a point farther from the center of the body or from the point of attachment. For example, the fingers are distal to the wrist, meaning they are farther from the body when the arm is outstretched. This term is used in many different contexts in medicine, including in descriptions of injury and disease, in surgical procedures, and in the basic sciences of anatomy and physiology.

Usage in Medicine

In medicine, the term "distal" is often used to describe the location of injuries or the progression of diseases. For example, a distal fracture is a break that occurs at the far end of a bone, away from the center of the body. Similarly, distal cancer would refer to a tumor that is located far from the origin of the disease.

In surgery, the term "distal" is used to describe the position of surgical incisions or the location of procedures. For example, a surgeon might perform a distal pancreatectomy to remove the far end of the pancreas, or a distal bypass surgery to improve blood flow to the far end of a blocked artery.

Distal in Anatomy

In anatomy, "distal" is used to describe the position of structures in relation to each other. For example, in the arm, the hand is distal to the elbow, meaning it is farther from the center of the body. Similarly, in the leg, the foot is distal to the knee.

See Also

• Proximal
• Anatomy
• Medicine
• Surgery
• Fracture
• Cancer
• Pancreatectomy
• Bypass surgery

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