Final answer:
In anatomical positioning, the shoulder blade (scapula) is lateral to the sternum because it is located towards the side of the body relative to the sternum, which is near the midline of the body.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of anatomical positioning, the correct term to fill in the blank in the given statement 'The shoulder blade is ______ to the sternum' is C. Lateral. Lateral describes the side or direction toward the side of the body. Therefore, since the shoulder blade (scapula) is located toward the side of the body in relation to the midline where the sternum (breastbone) is located, the scapula is considered to be lateral to the sternum. To further clarify, medial describes a position nearer to the middle of the body, which does not apply in this case since the sternum is already at the midline. Inferior (or caudal) describes a position below another part of the body, but the scapula is not below the sternum in the anatomical position.