Superficial anatomy can be defined as the physical examination of the external parts of a living organism such as ankle, nose, skin, knee, toes, fingers, cornea etc.
Hence, superficial anatomy is also popularly referred to as surface anatomy.
In this scenario, a patient arrives at an emergency room complaining of pain in her ankle. The nurse examines the patient’s ankle, looking for skin discoloration or swelling. The nurse is relying mostly on his knowledge of superficial anatomy by studying or examining the patient's ankle for any sign of decoration or swelling on the skin.
