Sectional anatomy Flashcards
The three cardinal planes
Transverse - horizontal, separaring up and down
Coronal - vertical separating front and back
Saggital - vertical spearating left and right
Supine
Term given to people laying flat backwards facing up
Fascia of the neck at C7: what are the layers, including the four deep layers of fascia, and what other structures are present?
- Skin
- Superficial fascia
- investing fascia (1)
- Pretracheal (2)
- Prevertebral (3)
- Carotid sheath (4)
The neck has platysma (thin muscle) passing within the superficial fascia
Investing fascia
Lies deep to the superficial fascia and surrounds the whole neck
It splits to enclose the sternocleidomastoid (SCM), trapezius and infrahyoid muscles, and the submandibular and parotid glands
Pretracheal fascia
Encloses the thyroid gland, oesophagus, trachea and larynx
Posteriorly it is continuous with the buccopharyngeal fascia of the pharynx
It is thickened near the hyoid bone to form a pulley through which the intermediate tendon of the digastric passes
Prevertebral fascia
Surrounds the vertebrae and the deep cervical muscles of the neck
Carotid sheath
Fused anteriorly with the investing and pre-tracheal fascia and posteriorly with the prevertebral fascia
Contains veins, vagus nerve, arteries, and sympathetic plexus
At what level does the carotid artery bifurcate
C3:
* Common carotid - External/internal carotid arteries
C7: what can be seen when viewing a transverse section of a person in the supine position?
Anterior-posterior:
Pretracheal fascia:
* Sternocleidomastoid muscles
* Clavicle lateral/posterior to SCM
* Sternohyoid muscles posterior to SCM
* Thyroid glands surround the trachea anteriorly and laterally (joined by a central isthmus)
* Carotid sheaths laterally to the thyroid glands
* Trachea and its surrounding tracheal cartilage
* The vocal folds within the trachea as we are essentially looking up into the larynx
* Tracheal muscles posterior to the above
* Oesophagus posterior to the trachea
Prevertebral fascia:
* Relatively central vertebral body
* Spinal cord directly posterior to the body
* Rootlets of the spinal nerves moving laterally from the spinal cord
* Spinous process and the laminae posterior to the above
* Transverse processes laterally, near the wall of the PF
- Trapezius muscle - hard to see but can be perceived posteriorly
Arteries vs veins in sectional anatomy
Always remember that veins have thinner walls than arteries as veins accommodate relatively low pressure while arteries accommodate and act to support high-pressure
Arteries also maintain their shape while veins typically do not
Why do the transverse processes and laminae not always connect in transverse sections of C7/T1?
They may be bending in ways that cause them to be disconnected in transverse views
Why is there no transverse foramina in a transverse view of C7/T1?
They only present in the first six vertebra
C5: what can be seen when viewing a transverse section of a person in the supine position?
Anterior-posterior:
Pretracheal fascia:
* Infrahyoid muscle - STNT/STNH muscles
* Thyroid cartilage, two laminae connected anteriorly by the laryngeal prominence
* Glottis directly posterior to the laryngeal prominence of the thyroid cartilage
* Vocal folds lateral to the glottis
* Laryngopharynx
- Anteriorly/posteriorly laterally to the PVF/PTF is the carotid sheath
Prevertebral fascia - located centrally:
* Vertebral body
* Spinal cord - nerve rootlets moving laterally
* Transverse processes - lateral to SC
* Transverse foramina anterior to the TPs and lateral to the body - containing vertebral vessels
* Laminae attaching the TPs to the SP
* Small spinous process most posteriorly - its bifida nature is captured
- SCM directly lateral to the carotid vessels
- Trapezius muscle lateral/posterior to the prevertebral fascia
When does common carotid artery bifurcate?
C4
Carotid sheath components at C5
Contains veins, vagus nerve, arteries, and sympathetic plexus
Veins are lateral to arteries
