Neck Flashcards
What are 4 characteristics of the neck region
- Passageway from cranium to trunk
- Permits great flexibility
- Crowded area
- Vulnerable
What is the majority of the neck made of?
Soft tissue
-only 2 bones are in the neck
What are the 2 bony structures in the neck
- Cervical vertebrae
- Hyoid Bone
Describe the hyoid bone
- Moveable base for tongue
- Used for speaking, swallowing, and holding the pharynx open
Clinical correlation of cervical pain
Can be due to many things…
- Uncinate Processes
- Nerve encroachment
- Lymph nodes
- Metastatic cancer
- Muscle strain or sprain
Clinical correlation of a fractured hypoid bone
- Can be fractured during strangulation
- Could crush the airway
Describe the atlas
- No vertebral body
- Ring shaped
- No spinous process
- Concave superior facets
Describe the axis
-Odontoid process
Describe the atlanto-occipital joint
Synovial–> Condyloid
-Yes movement
Describe the atlanto-axial joints
Synovial Joints
- 2 planar (facets)
- 1 Pivot (around the dens)
- No movement
What ligaments is the anterior longitudinal ligament continuous with?
- Anterior atlanto-axial membrane
- Anterior atlanto-occipital membrane
What ligaments is the Ligamentum flavum continuous with
- Posterior atlanto-axial membrane
- Posterior atlanto-occipital membrane
What are the ligaments of the atlanto-axial joint? (4)
- Cruciate ligament
- Transverse (holds C1 against the dens)
- Superior and Inferior Longitudinal Bands - Alar Ligaments
- Accessory Part of the Tectorial Membrane
- Tectorial Membrane
What is in the subcutaneous fascia of the neck?
- Platysma Muscle
- Lose connective tissue and fat
- Cutaneous Nerves
Characteristics of the platysma muscle?
- Very thin
- Atrophies easily
What are the 3 divisions of the deep cervical fascia?
- Investing fascia
- Pretrachial Fascia
- Prevertebral Fascia
This fascia…
- Is a muscular layer
- Envelopes the entire neck
- Splits to in close the SCM and trapezius muscles
Investing Fascia
This fascia…
-Has a muscular and visceral layer
Pretrachial Fascia
Describe the muscular layer of the pretrachial fascia
Encloses the infrahyoid muscles
Describe the visceral layer of the pretrachial fascia
Surrounds the thyroid, larynx, trachea, pharynx, and esophagus
This fascia…
- Is muscular
- Surrounds cervical vertebral column and associated muscles
Prevertebral fascia
What 3 things does the carotid sheath enclose?
- Common carotid artery
- Internal jugular vein
- Vagus nerve
Does the Prevertebral fascia continue into the thorax?
Yes- it continues into the thorax as the endothoracic fascia
Describe the correlation of the Prevertebral fascia and the brachioplexus
-The Prevertebral fascia goes along parts of the Brachial Plexus and becomes the axillary sheath
What is the name of the fascia that crosses the midline and connects the carotid sheaths together?
Alar fascia
What are the boundaries of the investing fascia?
- Skull
- Angle of the mandible
- Mastoid process
- Superior nuchal line
This is between the Prevertebral fascia and the Pretrachial Fascia
- Potential route of spread from the tonsils
- Continuous space
Retropharyngeal Space
What is the main purpose of fascia in the neck
To allow for smooth movements
What is the purpose of the regions of the neck?
-Descriptive purposes
What are the 4 main regions of the neck?
- Anterior cervical region
- SCM region
- Lateral cervical region
- Posterior cervical region
What are the contents of the SCM region?
- SCM muscle
- Platysma muscle
- External jugular vein
- Erbs Point Nerves
What does the SCM muscle contain?
- Investing fascia
- Superficial subcutaneous tissue
What is the main action of the SCM muscle?
Unilateral Side Bending and contralateral rotation
What are the 3 bilateral actions of the SCM?
- Posterior fibers extend atlanto-occipital joint
- Flexion of head and cranial column (chin to chest)
- Chin thrust in horizontal plane
What are similarities between the trap and the SCM?
- Come from the same investing fascia that split apart
- Innervated by the Accessory Nerve
- Receive proprioception from spinal nerves
Describe where the external jugular vein is located
-Crosses the superficial surface of SCM
Where does the External Jugular vein drain blood from?
Lateral scalp and the face
What are the 2 Erbs point nerves?
- Transverse cervical
2. Great Auricular
Which general direction does the transverse cervical nerve travel?
From Erb’s point more Inferomedial
Which general direction does the great auricular nerve travel?
From Erb’s point more vertically to go behind the ear
What is the clinical correlation of Torticollis?
- Ry Neck
- unilateral spasm of SCM
- Mostly congenital and happens after birth
- Can be caused by calcified hematoma or fibrous growth
- Usually injured during childbirth
Describe jugular vein distention
- Excess pressure of the heart can be measured here because it is close to the surface of the body
- Seen in CHF and the pressure is built up and seen in this vein
What are the boundaries of the posterior cervical region?
- Midline
- Ascending fibers of the trapezius to C7
- Splenius
- Semispinalis
- Suboccipital Triangle
What are the contents of the posterior cervical region?
- Vertebral Artery
- Suboccipital nerves
What are the boundaries of the lateral cervical region?
- Posterior border of SCM
- Anterior trapezius
- Middle 1/3 of clavicle
What is the lateral cervical region divided into?
- Occipital Triangle
- Omoclavicular Triangle
What are the boundaries of the occipital triangle?
- SCM
- Omohyoid
- Anterior Trap
What are the boundaries of the Omoclavicular triangle?
- Omohyoid
- SCM
- Clavicle
What is located in the occipital triangle?
- Brachial plexus
- Levator Scapulae
- Middle scalene
- Anterior scalene
What is located in the Omoclavicular triangle?
- Right subclavian vein
- Suprascapular artery
