Lateral and medial

The terms lateral and medial are used to indicate a location or direction. Lateral refers to the side or outside, and medial to the inside of the body or a body part. For example, pain on the outside of the knee or moving the arm outward.

Example

If you have pain on the lateral side of your knee, you feel it on the outside of the knee. Medial knee symptoms are on the inside.

It is also possible to use these terms to indicate a location more specifically. You can then indicate that the symptoms are located more toward the medial or lateral side.

These terms are mainly used by (para)medical professionals, such as doctors and physical therapists, to communicate more accurately about the location of an injury or problem. As a patient, you do not necessarily need to be familiar with these terms, but they can help you better understand a medical report.