What is SuperficialAnatomy?
Anatomical features that can be observed by sight (without dissection), including the form and proportions of the human body as well as surface landmarks that correspond to deeper subcutaneous structures. Superficial anatomy plays an important role in sports medicine, phlebotomy, and other medical specialties as underlying anatomical structures can be identified through surface palpation. For example, during back surgery, superficial anatomy can be used to palpate and count vertebrae to find the site of incision. Or in phlebotomy, superficial anatomy can be used to locate an underlying vein; for example, the median cubital vein can be located by palpating the borders of the cubital fossa (such as the epicondyles of the humerus) and then looking for the superficial signs of the vein, such as size, prominence, ability to refill after depression, and feel of surrounding tissue support. As another example, in a subluxation (dislocation) of the glenohumeral joint, the bony structure becomes pronounced with the deltoid muscle failing to cover the glenohumeral joint allowing the edges of the scapula to be superficially visible. Here, the superficial anatomy is the visible edges of the scapula, implying the underlying dislocation of the joint (the related anatomical structure).
Example JSON-LD skeleton
This minimal example only identifies a Schema.org type. It is not a complete entity, a Google rich-result test, or a claim about a real business.
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "SuperficialAnatomy"
}Full parent hierarchy
Each chain starts at a root type. Multiple paths are shown when Schema.org defines more than one parent. For very complex types, up to 256 paths are displayed; consult the official definition for the full graph.
- Thing → MedicalEntity → SuperficialAnatomy
Direct parents: MedicalEntity
Child types (0)
No entries listed in the available snapshot.
Properties that accept SuperficialAnatomy values (2)
| Property | On types | Description |
|---|---|---|
| associatedAnatomy | MedicalCondition or PhysicalActivity | The anatomy of the underlying organ system or structures associated with this entity. |
| sensoryUnit | Nerve | The neurological pathway extension that inputs and sends information to the brain or spinal cord. |
Properties usable on SuperficialAnatomy (26)
This list includes properties whose domainIncludes names SuperficialAnatomy or one of its ancestors. DomainIncludes is advisory; it is not an exhaustive set of permitted properties.
| Property | Expected value types | Description |
|---|---|---|
| additionalType | Text, URL | An additional type for the item, typically used for adding more specific types from external vocabularies in microdata syntax. This is a relationship between something and a class that the thing is in. Typically the value is a URI-identified RDF class, and in this case corresponds to the use of rdf:type in RDF. Text values can be used sparingly, for cases where useful information can be added without their being an appropriate schema to reference. In the case of text values, the class label should follow the schema.org <a href="https://schema.org/docs/styleguide.html">style guide</a>. |
| alternateName | Text | An alias for the item. |
| associatedPathophysiology | Text | If applicable, a description of the pathophysiology associated with the anatomical system, including potential abnormal changes in the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of the system. |
| code | MedicalCode | A medical code for the entity, taken from a controlled vocabulary or ontology such as ICD-9, DiseasesDB, MeSH, SNOMED-CT, RxNorm, etc. |
| description | Text, TextObject | A description of the item. |
| disambiguatingDescription | Text | A sub property of description. A short description of the item used to disambiguate from other, similar items. Information from other properties (in particular, name) may be necessary for the description to be useful for disambiguation. |
| funding | Grant | A [[Grant]] that directly or indirectly provide funding or sponsorship for this item. See also [[ownershipFundingInfo]]. |
| guideline | MedicalGuideline | A medical guideline related to this entity. |
| identifier | PropertyValue, Text, URL | The identifier property represents any kind of identifier for any kind of [[Thing]], such as ISBNs, GTIN codes, UUIDs etc. Schema.org provides dedicated properties for representing many of these, either as textual strings or as URL (URI) links. See [background notes](/docs/datamodel.html#identifierBg) for more details. |
| image | ImageObject, URL | An image of the item. This can be a [[URL]] or a fully described [[ImageObject]]. |
| legalStatus | DrugLegalStatus, MedicalEnumeration, Text | The drug or supplement's legal status, including any controlled substance schedules that apply. |
| mainEntityOfPage | CreativeWork, URL | Indicates a page (or other CreativeWork) for which this thing is the main entity being described. See [background notes](/docs/datamodel.html#mainEntityBackground) for details. |
| medicineSystem | MedicineSystem | The system of medicine that includes this MedicalEntity, for example 'evidence-based', 'homeopathic', 'chiropractic', etc. |
| name | Text | The name of the item. |
| owner | Organization, Person | A person or organization who owns this Thing. |
| potentialAction | Action | Indicates a potential Action, which describes an idealized action in which this thing would play an 'object' role. |
| recognizingAuthority | Organization | If applicable, the organization that officially recognizes this entity as part of its endorsed system of medicine. |
| relatedAnatomy | AnatomicalStructure, AnatomicalSystem | Anatomical systems or structures that relate to the superficial anatomy. |
| relatedCondition | MedicalCondition | A medical condition associated with this anatomy. |
| relatedTherapy | MedicalTherapy | A medical therapy related to this anatomy. |
| relevantSpecialty | MedicalSpecialty | If applicable, a medical specialty in which this entity is relevant. |
| sameAs | URL | URL of a reference Web page that unambiguously indicates the item's identity. E.g. the URL of the item's Wikipedia page, Wikidata entry, or official website. |
| significance | Text | The significance associated with the superficial anatomy; as an example, how characteristics of the superficial anatomy can suggest underlying medical conditions or courses of treatment. |
| study | MedicalStudy | A medical study or trial related to this entity. |
| subjectOf | CreativeWork, Event | A CreativeWork or Event about this Thing. |
| url | URL | URL of the item. |
Schema.org vs Google
This type's presence in Schema.org is not a Google feature approval. Check our dated Google status snapshot and Google's official Rich Results Test separately.