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Proximal describes a location that is closer to the point of reference, typically the trunk or the limb’s point of attachment. It’s about how near something is to the body’s center or to where a limb attaches. For example, the shoulder is proximal to the elbow because it’s nearer the body, and the hip is proximal to the knee. This is different from distal, which means farther from the trunk or origin. Near the surface refers to superficial, not proximity along a limb, so that doesn’t define proximal.