MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Distal

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Distal

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Definition

Definition

Distal refers to sites located away from a reference point. The hand is distal to the shoulder. The thumb is distal to the wrist. Usually, that reference point is the center or midline of the body.

Update Date: 1/18/2007

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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