extremity
Enable an agent to recognise a distal limb extremity, describe its anatomy and functional state, and identify suitable observations or actions within the available evidence and authority.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
6 bundles · 11 layers · 15 findings · 25 questions
Distal limb identity Establishes which terminal limb region the record denotes.
Organism and limb position
Locates the extremity within an organism's actual limb arrangement.
Parent limb identification
Record the organism, parent limb and positional designation needed to identify this extremity uniquely.
- Which organism and parent limb does this extremity belong to? definition
- Which side or other positional designation distinguishes it from the organism's other extremities? boundary
Anatomical extent
Defines the terminal region without inheriting a broader use of the term.
Proximal limit and inclusions
Specify a proximal landmark and which adjacent structures are included under the chosen anatomical convention.
- What anatomical landmark marks the proximal limit of this extremity? boundary
- Does the source describe the terminal region or use extremity to mean the entire limb? provenance
Terminal anatomy and continuity Describes the structures making up the extremity and their continuity with the limb.
Constituent organisation
Maps the anatomical components that fall within the extremity boundary.
Included parts and configuration
Record observed constituent parts and their arrangement without imposing a standard human configuration.
- Which digits, joints, skeletal elements and soft tissues are included where applicable? definition
- Which parts are observed, documented as absent, or simply not assessed? measurement
Attachment and replacement boundaries
Distinguishes anatomical continuity from detachment and device interfaces.
Biological continuity
Record attachment state and the boundary between biological anatomy and external or replacement devices.
- Is the extremity attached, partially detached or detached, and what evidence establishes that state? measurement
- Where does the anatomical extremity end and any prosthetic, orthotic or protective device begin? boundary
Movement, contact and load Captures what this extremity can do and how it interacts physically with its surroundings.
Task-specific capability
Describes movement and performance using tasks appropriate to the organism and extremity.
Observed functional capacity
Separate reported ability from observed performance and identify the conditions of each observation.
- Which relevant tasks, such as grasping, support or propulsion, were actually observed? measurement
- Under what posture, assistance and activity conditions was capability assessed? provenance
Surface interaction
Records the parts of the extremity that contact objects or substrates and transmit load.
Contact regions and forces
Localise contact and distinguish measured force or pressure from qualitative descriptions of loading.
- Which extremity surfaces contact the object or substrate during the specified activity? boundary
- What load or pressure was measured, in which units and under what contact conditions? measurement
Local condition and change Organises local observations of tissue condition, sensation and circulation over time.
Tissue integrity and dimensions
Localises visible or measured changes within the terminal limb region.
Localised condition record
Record the location, extent and timing of tissue observations and dimensional changes.
- Where are changes in surface continuity, swelling or colour observed within the extremity? measurement
- Were dimensions compared using the same landmarks, posture and measurement method? provenance
Sensation and circulation evidence
Separates reported sensory experience from documented examination findings.
Sensory and circulatory observations
Preserve observation method and uncertainty rather than infer normal sensation or circulation from appearance.
- What sensation was reported or assessed, at which extremity locations and by what method? measurement
- What examination evidence about local circulation is available, and when was it obtained? provenance
Protection, assistance and use Connects extremity-specific observations to equipment fit and authorised activity.
Equipment interface
Describes how protective or assistive equipment fits around and interacts with the extremity.
Fit and functional interference
Record equipment contact, dimensional compatibility and observed effects on movement or sensation.
- Which extremity dimensions and contact landmarks determine the equipment fit? measurement
- What interference with movement, contact or sensation has been observed during use? measurement
Activity and review decisions
Relates proposed use or handling to documented limits and unresolved local observations.
Evidence-bounded action
Record the basis for permitted activity, handling or review without deriving treatment from the anatomy model.
- What documented restrictions or permissions govern loading, movement or handling of this extremity? action
- Which unresolved observations require appropriate review before the proposed activity or equipment use? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Check these first
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these check these first hold for the sense of extremity this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Kinds and varieties
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of extremity this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of extremity this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of extremity this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of extremity this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Physical world and living systems
- Entry kind
- noun.body
- Plane
- PHY
- Domain
- PHY.LIV
- Facets: substance
- living
- Facets: origin
- natural
- Facets: agency
- inert
- Facets: mobility
- not-applicable
- Facets: scale
- not-applicable
- Facets: affordances
- observable
- Other names and narrower kinds
- animal foot, foot, fossorial foot, bird's foot, webfoot, zygodactyl foot, heterodactyl foot, webbed foot, lobate foot, trotter, forefoot, hindfoot
What it is Filled
An extremity, in the specified sense, is the terminal part of a limb farthest from its attachment to the torso, exemplified in humans by the hand or foot.
In scope
- Identification of a terminal limb region in a specified organism
- Species-specific boundaries and constituent anatomical parts
- Attachment to the parent limb, side and positional identity
- Local tissue integrity, sensation, movement and functional capacity
- Extremity-specific contact, loading, protection and assistance
Out of scope
- The entire limb when extremity is used in that broader sense
- Whole-organism taxonomy, physiology and health
- Independent models of bones, joints, digits, skin and other constituent structures
- Diagnosis and treatment protocols for particular injuries or diseases
- Prosthetic devices themselves
- Non-limb projections or figurative meanings of extremity
Why it exists Filled
Enable an agent to recognise a distal limb extremity, describe its anatomy and functional state, and identify suitable observations or actions within the available evidence and authority.
Distinguishing features Filled
- It must be a terminal region of a limb relative to the torso; being an exposed or projecting body part alone is insufficient.
- Its boundary must distinguish it from the complete parent limb, even where an external source calls the whole limb an extremity.
- A digit or other terminal component must be distinguished from the larger extremity that contains it.
- An anatomical extremity must be distinguished from a device that replaces, supports or protects it.
- Identification must use the organism's limb organisation rather than assume human hand or foot anatomy.
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Restrain, immobilize or manipulate a person's hand or foot without consent and clinical need.
- Diagnose fractures, circulation loss or nerve injury from images alone.
- Use images or prints of a person's hands to identify them without consent or legal basis.
- Advise delay when circulation or sensation in a limb is failing.
Only with a human decision
- Any examination, splinting or procedure on a person's hand or foot.
- Decisions about limb-threatening conditions.
May
- Describe hands and feet and their structure in clear anatomical terms.
- Support authorized clinicians in documenting examination or imaging findings.
Moral aspects Filled
- Loss of a hand or foot changes a person's independence and work for life.
- Fingerprints and hand images are biometric data that identify people.
Who is affected
- Patients
- People with diabetes or poor circulation
- Manual workers
Owners Filled
Steward
Nobody: part of a person's body; clinicians answer for its care.
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- oewn-05232383-n - registry parent class
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.extremity-body
- Open English WordNet: oewn-05574552-n
Direct properties required Filled
- Organism and anatomical context: Organism reference; species or anatomical reference where known
- Parent limb and positional identity: Parent limb reference; left, right, median, other specified position or unknown
- Extremity type: Species-appropriate anatomical term; unresolved
- Proximal boundary: Named anatomical landmark and explicit inclusion convention; unresolved
- Constituent anatomy: References to included digits, skeletal elements, joints and soft tissues, where applicable
- Attachment state: Attached, partially detached, detached or unknown
- Local dimensions: Length, width or circumference in mm, with landmarks, posture and method
- Movement and task performance: Observed or reported capability for a named movement or task, with conditions; not assessed
- Surface and tissue condition: Localised observations of continuity, swelling, colour and other documented changes; unknown
- Sensory and circulation observations: Reported sensation and documented examination results, each with location, method and time; not assessed
Recognition required Filled
- The terminal part of a limb: the hand with fingers, or the foot with toes.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- Identify and annotate the distal limb region using explicit anatomical landmarks.
- Map observations to the extremity or one of its constituent structures.
- Compare dimensions, movement and task performance across documented observations.
- Describe contact surfaces and loading during a specified activity.
- Assess documented fit and interference of protective or assistive equipment.
- Flag uncertainty or observed changes for appropriate review without inferring a diagnosis.
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Untreated loss of circulation can lead to amputation.
- Crush and degloving injuries cause lasting disability.
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Terminologia Anatomica, Federative International Programme for Anatomical Terminology.
Context of use required Filled
- The term is used in anatomy, rehabilitation and descriptions of movement to identify the terminal part of a limb, such as a hand or foot.
- Observations of an extremity help describe contact, grasping, support, sensation and the condition of tissues farthest from the torso.
Sources Filled
- Open English WordNet 2024, synset oewn-05574552-n - sense and gloss of the concept
- Wiktionary: extremity - word senses and usage
Open questions
- Which anatomical authorities and proximal landmarks should define extremity boundaries across the organisms covered by this registry?
- How should the registry handle an acquired terminal limb region after amputation: as an extremity under this definition or as a residual limb linked to a neighbouring model?
- Which non-human terminal limb forms fall within this entry, and what evidence distinguishes a limb extremity from a non-limb appendage?
- Which existing Vercy models already own overlapping hand, foot, digit or distal limb concepts, and how should authoritative links prevent duplication?
- Which species- and task-specific observation methods are sufficiently established for comparing function, sensation, circulation and equipment fit?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-extremity-body/spec.json