Neck Flashcards
What are the important bony landmarks of the neck?
External occipital protuberance
Mastoid process (hollow bone)
Transverse process of C2
Hyoid bone
Inferior border of cricoid cartilage
The hyoid bone is located at which vertebral level?
C3-C4
(it floats)
The inferior border of cricoid cartilage can be located at which vertebral level?
C6
The inferior border of the cricoid cartilage is an important landmark because this where the _____ transitions into the esophagous and the _____ transitions into the trachea.
Pharynx
Larynx
The key landmark for organizing the neck is?
Sternocleidomastoid
The Sternocleidomastoid muscle has two heads. What are they?
Clavicular head
Sternal head
What type of contraction allows the head to turn toward the opposite side of that contraction?
Unilateral Contraction of SCM
What are the actions of the SCM?
Unilateral Contraction
Lateral flexion (ipsilateral
contralateral rotation
Bilateral Contraction
extend the atlanto-occiptal joint
(if neck is fixed)
Bilateral contraction
Flexed the neck
(if atlanto-occipital join is fixed)
Name the muscles than can mask paresis of the sternomastoid?
????
How do you test the action of the SCM?
Test it against resistance by asking the patient to turn their head left and right.
(testing against resistance is used because other muscle can compensate for irs paralysis)
Compare on both sides
During delivery, the muscle fibers of the sternocleidomastoid may be torn and damaged as the baby’s body is removed too vigorously while the head remains in the birth canal.
How can this be avoided?
Placing a finger in the baby;s mouth and pulling gently
What happens if the SCM is damaged during Child birth?
This can lead to a condition known as
Torticollis Congenital (Wry Neck)
After tearing, muscle fibers are replaced with scar tissue. The scarred muscle does not lenthen as the baby;s neck grows. Thus, the head becomes progressively twisted toward the opposite side.
What is spasmotic Torticollis?
Lesion in the Central nervous systerm can lead to spontaneous contraction of the SCM. These twitches are gross twitch and can be minimized by holding the chin. The Basal ganglia is affected (further info in later unit)
Which vein crosses the SCM and enters into the deep cervical fascia?
The external jugular vein
(it is a superficial vein)
After piercing the deep cervical fascia it terminates in the subclavian vein.
What happens if the External jugular vein is cut while in the deep cervical fascia?
The deep cervical fascia is a tight fascia so when the vein is cut, instead of collapsing, it is held open by the fascia. This allows the heart to in an air emobolism (plug) filling the right heart with froth -> pulmonary embolism
The deep cervical fascia covers which two muscles?
The SCM and Trapezius
The external jugular vein can serve as an internal _____.
Barometer
Valsava maneuver is something we do commonly, ecspellialy when working out, what does it do to the external jusular vein.
The increase pressure on the veins draining into the heart causes buldging on the EJV.
What can be used as a sign to lead to a diagnosis of right heart failure?
Dilation of external jugular vein
Venous Pressure is suppose to only be a couple of m above 0
What is superior vena cava syndrome?
Blockage of the superior vena cava by a tumor may cause the external jugular to become distended.
Why is fast administration of IV fluids dangerous to a patient?
This can overload the kidney causing a backflow of fluid in the body. It is key to moitor the external jugular vein. If buldging occurs decrease fluid rate. It is a key indicator in knowing that the patient is recieveing to much fluid. (possitioning the patient is critical is assesing the EJV)
Posterior to the external jugular vein is something know as the “Nerve Point of the Neck”, what is the relationship to othe SCM?
The “nerve point of the neck” is found along the middle 1/3 of the posterior border of the sternomastoid.
What are the 4 major nerves that are part of the “nerve point of the neck”?
Greater auricular n.
Lesser Occipital n. (going to back of occipital bone)
Transverse cervical n. (sensory for anterior clavicle_
Supraclavicular n. (skin over clavicle)
These are sensory branches of cervical plexus
Injections of anesthetitc at the nerve point of the neck is known as?
Cervical Plexus block
Cervical Plexus is from ____ to ____.
C1 to C4
What are the sensory branches of the cervical plexus?
Lesser Occipital - C2
Greater Auricular - C2 and C3
Transverse Cervical - C2 and C3
Supraclavicular nerves - C3 and C4
What are the motor branches of the cervical plexus?
Nerve to ger and thyro
Ansa Cervicalis C1-C2
Phrenic Nerve C3-C5
Hypoglossal n. recieves some fibers from C1
What is A, B, and C?
A. descending cervicalis
B. Ansa cervicalis
C. Descending hypoglossus
Hypoglossal nerve supply which muscles?
Muscles of the tongue
The neck is a major crossroads where structures intersect coming and going from the ____, ______, and ______.
Head
Thorax
Upper limb
What two important endocrine glands are in the neck?
Thyroid and parathyroid
The sternomastid divides the neck into what?
Anterior and Posterior triangles
What are the borders of the posterior triangle?
SCM
Trapezius
Clavicle
What are the borders of the anterior triangle?
SCM
Mandible
Midline
The posterior triangle is divided into two smaller triangle by what?
By the Posterior Belly of the Omohyoid