MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Medial

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Medial

Contents of this page:
Illustrations	Definition

Illustrations

Anatomical landmarks, back view

Anatomical landmarks, front view

Medial orientation

Definition Return to top

Medial means toward the middle or center. It is the opposite of lateral. For example, the chest is medial to the arm. Your health care provider may use these terms to clearly explain the relationship between things that they find during a physical exam.

Update Date: 8/8/2006

Updated by: Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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