American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Prepare for the American Academy of Professional Coders exam with our comprehensive quiz, featuring multiple-choice questions designed to enhance your coding skills and knowledge. Ideal for aspiring medical coders looking to succeed in the certification process.

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


What does Proximal mean?

  1. Farther from the point of attachment

  2. Nearer to the point of attachment

  3. Toward the midline of the body

  4. Toward the side of the body

The correct answer is: Nearer to the point of attachment

Proximal refers to being nearer to the point of attachment of a limb or to the trunk of the body. This term is used in anatomical terminology to describe the relative positions of various body parts. For example, when discussing the arm, the shoulder is considered proximal to the elbow because it is closer to the point of attachment of the arm to the body. Understanding this concept is crucial for accurately describing locations and movements in the human body, particularly in fields such as healthcare and anatomy. In this context, other options do not accurately reflect the definition of proximal. The term describing something "farther from the point of attachment" pertains to the opposite concept, which is distal. Likewise, being "toward the midline of the body" corresponds to the term medial, while "toward the side of the body" aligns with the term lateral. Each of these terms has specific meanings that help professionals accurately communicate regarding anatomy.