Neck Triangles and Cervical Plexus Flashcards

Flashcards about neck triangles and cervical plexus of nerves

What is the posterior triangle of the neck?

The region posterior to the sternocleidomastoid muscle, anterior to the trapezius, and superior to the clavicle.

What is the anterior triangle of the neck?

The anterior region of the neck, between the inferior border of the mandible, the sternocleidomastoid, and the midline of the neck.

What are the subdivisions of the anterior triangle of the neck?

Submandibular, Carotid, Submental, and Muscular

What are the contents of the posterior triangle?

Four superficial branches of the cervical plexus, external jugular vein, subclavian artery, transverse cervical nerves, and accessory nerve.

What are the contents of the submental and submandibular triangles?

lymph nodes and small veins.

What are the contents of the carotid triangle?

Carotid artery, internal jugular vein, hypoglossal nerve, four ventral rami of the cervical plexus, and vagus nerves.

What are the contents of the muscular triangle?

Cervical rami of the cervical plexus, esophagus, trachea, thyroid gland, and anterior jugular vein.

How many cervical spinal nerves are there?

8

How do cervical spinal nerves exit the vertebral foramen?

passing above the vertebrae of the same number (Cn1 – Cn7) and one nerve passes between C7 and T1 (Cn8).

What area does the dorsal ramus of the cervical spinal nerves supply?

muscles of the vertebral column and the skin of the back of the scalp and neck.

What do the ventral rami of the cervical spinal nerves form?

Cn1 – Cn4 join to form the cervical plexus, and Cn5 – Cn8 join to form the brachial plexus.

What are the superficial branches of the cervical plexus?

Lesser occipital nerve, great auricular nerve, transverse cervical nerve, and supraclavicular nerve.

What does the lesser occipital nerve supply?

Skin and scalp behind the auricle

What does the great auricular nerve supply?

Skin of the auricle, area of the parotid gland, and angle of the mandible.

What does the transverse cervical nerve supply?

Skin of the side and front of the neck from the menton to the sternum.

What does the supraclavicular nerve supply?

Skin over the chest and shoulder.

What are the deep branches of the cervical plexus?

Communicating branch, muscular branches, proprioceptive branches, descendens cervicalis, and phrenic nerve.

Where is the communicating branch located?

Underneath the hypoglossal nerve (XII)

What fibers does the communicating branch carry?

motor fibers to the geniohyoid, thyrohyoid, and infrahyoid muscles.

How do the Infrahyoid fibers leave the communicating branch?

The superior root of the ansa cervicalis

How do muscular branches connect?

Small branches passing from all 4 cervical nerves to the prevertebral muscles.

What do proprioceptive branches supply?

The sternocleidomastoid muscle and the trapezium

What is another name for descendens cervicalis?

Inferior Root of the Ansa Cervicalis

What does the descendens cervicalis supply?

Infrahyoid muscles (except thyrohyoid) together with the Communicating branch.

Where does the phrenic nerve run and supply innervation to?

Runs down into the thorax and supplies innervations to the diaphragm.

Describe the location of the posterior triangle of the neck.

Posterior to the sternocleidomastoid muscle, anterior to the trapezius, and superior to the clavicle

Describe the location of the anterior triangle of the neck.

Between the inferior border of the mandible, the sternocleidomastoid, and the midline of the neck

How many superficial branches are associated with the posterior triangle?

4

Which nerve is a content of the posterior triangle?

Accessory Nerve

Name a structure related to the submental triangle.

Mylohyoid muscle

Name a structure that is a content of the carotid triangle.

Carotid Artery

Name a structure that is part of the Muscular Triangle contents.

Esophagus

How do Cervical Spinal Nerves exit the vertebral foramen?

Passing above the vertebrae of the same number for Cn1-Cn7.

What does the Dorsal Ramus supply?

Muscles of the vertebral column

Which Cervical Nerves join to form the cervical plexus?

C1-C4

Give an example of a superficial branch of the Cervical Plexus.

Lesser Occipital Nerve

The Great Auricular Nerve supplies the skin of the .

Auricle

Where does the Transverse Cervical Nerve run, relative to the neck?

From the menton to the sternum

The Supraclavicular Nerve supplies the skin over the .

Chest

The Phrenic Nerve supplies innervations to what?

Diaphragm