Medical Terminology
Decode clinical language one meaningful piece at a time.
Lesson 8 of 12
Directional and positional terms
Anatomical direction words describe one structure in relation to another, generally using standard anatomical position as a reference. They are relational: the same point can be medial to one structure and lateral to another. Superior and inferior describe toward the head or feet, while proximal and distal are especially useful along limbs. Clear, consistent terms improve documentation and communication with other professionals.
Key points
- Anterior is toward the front; posterior is toward the back.
- Superior is toward the head; inferior is toward the feet.
- Medial is nearer the midline; lateral is farther from it.
- Proximal is nearer a limb's attachment or point of origin; distal is farther away.
- Superficial is nearer the surface; deep is farther from it.
- Ipsilateral means same side; contralateral means opposite sides.
- State the reference clearly when documenting a location.
Key terms
- Anterior
- Toward the front of the body.
- Posterior
- Toward the back of the body.
- Medial
- Closer to the body's midline.
- Lateral
- Farther from the body's midline.
- Proximal
- Nearer the attachment or origin.
- Distal
- Farther from the attachment or origin.
- Ipsilateral
- On the same side of the body.
Memory tip
Use your own midline to rehearse medial versus lateral.
Clinical note
In clinical description, specify the client's left or right, not the observer's.
Unit checkpoint
Lock it in: match the terms, then test yourself.