Lecture 4 - Neck III: Posterior Triangle

Question 1

What are the general contents of the posterior triangle?

(7 things - sort of… really a crap load o’ stuff)

Answer 1

1. External Jugular v. and tributaries
2. Cutaneous nerves of the cervical plexus
3. Spinal accessory nerve
4. brachial plexus
5. inferior belly of the omohyoid muscle
6. Arteries
   
   • Third portion of the subclavian
   • transverse cervical
   • suprascapular
   • descending of dorsal scapular
   • Occipital
7. Portion of the deep cervical lymph nodes

Question 2

What plexus does the spinal accessory nerve participate in forming? What else forms this plexus?

Answer 2

The subtrapezial plexus along with branches of the ventral rami of spinal nerves C3 and C4.

Question 3

What can hypertrophy of the scalenes cause?

Answer 3

pressure on the root of the brachial plexus resulting in thoracic outlet syndrome

Question 4

What are the branches of the brachial plexus in the neck?

Answer 4

1. dorsal scapular n
2. accessory phrenic n
3. nerve to subclavius
4. suprascapular n
5. long thoracic n
6. Direct branches to the scalenes supplied collectively by C5-C8

Question 5

Can you still draw the brachial plexus?

Answer 5

Question 6

The occipital artery ascends to supply the posterior scalp, in company with what?

Answer 6

The greater occipital nerve

Question 7

What is the subclavian artery invested by?

Answer 7

Prevertebral fascia (axillary sheath)

Question 8

The accessory lymph nodes are located along the path of CN XI, and recieve lymph from the superficial lymph nodes of the head. What are these nodes called?

Answer 8

1. Occipital nodes
2. Retroauricular nodes

Question 9

When Dr. Buck calls on you for a CIS question… and you blank…

Answer 9