The ankle is distal to the knee. In anatomical terms, ‘distal’ means that a body part is further away from the point of attachment or the trunk of the body compared to another part. Since the ankle is further away from the trunk than the knee, it is considered distal to the knee.
To understand this better, let’s break it down:
- Proximal: Closer to the point of attachment or the trunk. The knee is proximal to the ankle.
- Medial: Towards the midline of the body. This term is used to describe the position relative to the center of the body, not the relationship between the ankle and the knee.
- Distal: Further from the point of attachment or the trunk. The ankle is distal to the knee.
- Superficial: Closer to the surface of the body. This term is used to describe the depth of a structure, not its position along the limb.
So, when comparing the ankle and the knee, the correct term to describe their relationship is distal.