5.4 (Cervical Plexus) Flashcards
Location of cervical plexus
Anteromedial to the levator scapulae and middle scalene muscles, and deep to the SCM.
Cervical Plexus is made of what nerves?
C1-4
Superficial branches (cutaneous) innervate…
Sensory to skin of anterolateral neck, superolateral thoracic wall, and the scalp between the auricle and the external occipital protuberance
Deep branches innervate…
Motor
Name the superficial branches
- Lesser occipital nerve (C2)
- Great auricular nerve (C2-C3)
- Transverse cervical nerve (C2-C3)
- Supraclavicular nerve (C3-C4)
Lesser occipital nerve functional defecit
Occipital neuralgia – chronic pain in the upper neck, back of the head and behind the eyes.
Headache.
Lesser occipital nerve function
Supplying the skin of the neck and scalp posterosuperior to the auricle
Great auricular nerve function
Provides sensory innervation for skin over parotid gland, mastoid process, and surfaces of the outer ear.
Great auricular nerve functional defecit
Numbness and tingling in the skin over parotid gland, mastoid process, and surfaces of the outer ear.
Transverse cervical nerve function
Sensory to skin covering the anterior cervical region.
Transverse cervical nerve functional defecit
Numbness and tingling of skin covering the anterior cervical region.
Supraclavicular nerve function
Sensory to skin of the neck and cross the clavicle to supply the skin over the shoulder
Supraclavicular nerve functional defecit
Numbness and tingling of skin of the neck and cross the clavicle to supply the skin over the shoulder
Motor Branches
- Ansa cervicalis nerve (C1-C3)
2. Phrenic nerve (C3-C5)
Ansa Cervicalis nerve function
Motor to infrahyoid muscles
Ansa cervicalis nerve functional defecit
Difficulty swallowing and speaking
Phrenic nerve function
Motor to the diaphragm and pericardium
Phrenic nerve functional defecit
Difficulty breathing
Branches of Ansa Cervicalis
- Geniohyoid
- Thyrohyoid
- Omohyoid
- Sternohyoid
- Sternothyroid
Lesser Occipital path
Emerges from the posterior border of the SCM and runs superiorly up border of the SCM just behind the ear.
Greater Auricular path
Posterior and parallel to the external jugular vein. Ascends on the superolateral surface of the SCM toward the mandible.
Transverse cervical path
Traverses anteriorly across the middle of the SCM toward the anterior triangle of the neck.
Supraclavicular path
Emerge posterior to the SCM and descend down towards the clavicle.
Ansa Cervicalis path
Runs with the hypoglossal for a little bit, then superficial to the IJV in the carotid sheath.
Phrenic path
Located on the anterior surface of the anterior scalene muscle.
Cervical sympathetic trunk location
It extends bilaterally along the anterolateral surface of the vertebral column, runs from C1 to C8.
3 cervical sympathetic ganglia
Superior, middle, inferior
Superior ganglia location
Level of C1 and C2, post synaptic fibers run to the carotid and cardiac plexus.
Middle ganglia location
lies just anterior to the vertebral artery near the cricoid cartilage, postsynaptic fibers go to C5 and C6, the heart and thyroid gland.
Inferior ganglia location
lies posterior to the vertebral artery, fibers to C7 and C8, and the heart
