1. Structure of the Neck and Cervical Spine Flashcards
Neck anterior and inferior boundaries?
Importance?
Superior boundary: Base of skull & inferior border of mandible
Inferior boundary: Top of sternum, clavicle, acromion (anterior) & C7 (posterior)
Houses critical structures:
Serves as conduit for structures passing between head/thorax & head/upper limb
Boundaries of the anterior triangle of the neck?
Bounded by inferior border of mandible, anterior border of SCM & midline of neck (head-thorax connection; superior thoracic aperture [thoracic inlet])
Boundaries of the posterior triangle of the neck?
Posterior triangles: Bounded by posterior border of SCM, middle 3rd of clavicle & anterior border of trapezius (head/neck-upper limb connection; axillary inlet at base)
2 triangles of neck?
Anterior and posterior
2 region of the neck and their contents?
cervical region
Sternocleidomastoid region: SCM, nerves (great auricular, transverse cervical), external jugular vein (superior part)
Posterior cervical region: Trapezius, nerves (cutaneous branches of posterior rami of cervical spinal nerves)
What are the neck compartments?
Visceral
Vertebral
2 x vascular
Viceral compartment of neck, contents?
Contains parts of respiratory system, digestive system & endocrine glands
Vertebral neck compartment, contents?
Contains cervical vertebrae, spinal cord, muscles & cervical nerves
2 vascular compartments of the neck, contents?
On either side of visceral compartment
Contains blood vessels & nerves (CN X)
The compartments (vertical columns) of the neck are surrounded by ______!
The compartments (vertical columns) of the neck are surrounded by fascia!
Role of fascia in neck?
- Provides containment (varying rigidity) of muscles & viscera
- Provides slipperiness that allow structures to slide over each other (expansion/contraction, up/down)
- Serves as conduit for passage of neurovascular structures
Layers of the deep cervical fascia of the neck
1: Investing fascia (hugs muscles e..g SCM, trapezius) also called musculofascial collar
2. Pretracheal (ant to trachea)
3. Prevertebral
4. Carotid sheath (contains vascular compartment)
Superfical fascia layers?
cervical subcutaneous tissue and platysma muscle
Superficial neck fascia connects to..
- Continuous with superficial fascia of thorax
* Connects to mandible & facial muscles
Role of investing fascia? (part of deep fascia)
Encloses what structures?
- Surrounds neck completely except for superficial layer, same as deep fascia of limbs
- Encloses (‘invests’) SCM, trapezius & infrahyoid muscles
- Encloses (‘invests’) parotid & submandibular glands