the elbow is proximal or distal to the wrist
no. the hand is proximal to the right wrist while the elbow (not sure of its medical term) area is distal to the wrist. we are comparing two direct parts. we do not care about using the center of the body (trunk) as part of the comparison.
Proximal to the wound would be from the wound toward the shoulder. On the leg, the toes are the most distal, the hip the most proximal. The knee is proximal to the ankle; the elbow is proximal to the wrist.