Surface Anatomy of the Neck Flashcards
what is the neck?
Transitional area between the base of the cranium and the clavicles
Name the 5 columns within the neck
- Neuromusculoskeletal
- Visceral
- Carotid neurovascular bundle
- Investing fascia
- Potential sapces
Fascia
Thin sheath of CT that encloses a muscle or an organ
What does the Visceral/Pre-Tracheal Column contain?
- Trachea
- Thyroid gland
- Oesophagus
What lies within the investing fascia?
- Platysma muscle sits inside (anterior)
What lies just outside the investing fascia?
Trapexius muscle (posterior)
What lies within the carotid sheath?
- vagus nerve
- carotid artery
- internal jugular vein
What is in the pre-vertebral column?
- Spinal cord
- Muscles
- vertebral body
Where is the retropharyngeal space?
Extends from the base of the skull to the diaphragm via the mediastinum (superior then posterior)
What is the retrophayngeal space?
Potential space that consist of loose CT
What splits the retropharyngeal space?
Alar fascia
What is the DANGER space within the neck?
Posterior to the alar fascia within the retropharyngeal space
Why is the retropharyngeal space dangerous?
infection can spread
What is the anterior border of the posterior triangle?
posterior border of sternocleidomastoid
What is the posterior border of the posterior triangle?
anterior border of trapezius
What is the inferior border of the posterior triangle?
middle third of clavicle
What is the superior border of the anterior triangle?
inferior border of the mandible
What is the lateral border of the anterior triangle?
anterior border of sternocleidomastoid
What is the medial border of the anterior triangle?
sagittal line down the midline of the neck
What muscle divides the traingles of the neck?
sternocleidomastoid
Styloid process
Anchor point for several muscles associated with the tongue and larynx
Stylomastoid foramen
transmits facial nerve and an artery
Mastoid process
found behind the ear
Where is the parotid galnd found?
In between the mastoid process and angle of the mandible
Describe the hyoid bone
- U-shaped bone
- 2 greater and 2 lesser horns
What muscles suspend the hyoid bone?
suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscles
What is the hyoid bone attached to?
thyroid cartilage
What happens to the hyoid cartilage when you swallow?
It moves
Describe the thyroid cartilage
- Largest cartilage of the laryngeal skeleton
- 2 lamina, 4 horns
What is the laryngeal prominance?
- Fusion of inferior 2/3 of 2 lamina
- Adam’s apple - prominant in males
What does articulation between the thyroid cartilage and cricoid cartilage allow?
- Rotation and gliding of thyroid cartilage
- Change length/sound of vocal cords (posterior to cartilage)
Give the branches of the aortic arch from right to left
- Brachiocephalic
- right subclavian
- right common carotid
- left common carotid
- left subclavian
Where does the braciocephalic trunk bifurcate
behind the right sternoclavicular joint
What does the right common carotid artery supply?
right side of the head and neck, intracranial structures
What does the right subclavian artery supply?
right upper limb and intracranial structures
What is the brachipcephalic trunk covered by anteriorly?
sternohyoid and sternothyroid muscles
Where does the subclavian artery pass?
under the first rib on its way to the upper limb
What are the 3 parts of the subclavian artery?
- Vertebral artery, thyrocervical trunk and internal throacic (medial to anterior scalene)
- Costo-cervical trunk (posterior to anterior scalene
- Dorsal scapula → axillary artery (lateral border of anterior scalene and travels under clavicle)
Where does the common carotid artery bifurcate?
superior border of the thyroid cartilage
What does the common carotid artery birfurcate in to?
internal and external common carotid arteries
What is the common carotid deep to?
anterior border of sternocleidomastoid lateral to the hyoid cartilage
Give another name for the carotid body
glomus coroticus
Where is the carotid body located?
At the posterior wall of the birfucation of the common carotid artery
What is the function of the carotid body?
Chemoreceptor that is sensitive to pCO2
What is the function of the carotid sinus?
baroreceptor - reacts to changes in arterial blood pressure
What is the nerve innervation of the carotid body and carotid sinus?
glossopharyngeal and vagus nerve
What does the internal carotid artery supply?
intracranial structures
Does the internal carotid artery give off any branches in the neck?
NO
name the 8 branches of the external carotid artery that supply areas of the head and neck on the external cranium
- Superifical temporal
- Maxillary
- Posterior auricular
- Occipital
- Facial
- Ascending laryngeal
- Lingual
- Superior thyroid
MNEMOMIC for branches of the external carotid artery
Some Anatomists Like Freaking Out Poor Medical Students
- Superifical temporal
- Ascending pharyngeal
- Lingual
- Facial
- Occipital
- Posterior Auricular
- Maxillary
- Superior thyroid
What drains the venous blood of the intracranial structures?
Dural venous sinuses
Name the dural venous sinuses
- Superior sagittal sinus
- Inferior sagittal sinus
- Sinus rectus
What is the sigmoid sinus?
internal jugular vein upon exiting the cranial cavity through the jugular foramen
What does the IJV drain?
intracranial structures and superifical parts of the face and neck
Where does the IJV travel?
In the carotid sheath
What is the IJV in close proximity to?
brachial plexus, ohrenic and vagus nerves
What can IJP be used for?
To assess CVP
What does the external jugular vein drain?
venous blood from the outer cranium and deep parts of the face into the subclavian vein
What join to form the retromandibular vein?
Superifical temporal and maxillary veins merge within the parotid gland
What does the retromandibular vein join with to form the external jugular vein?
posterior auricaular
What does the external jugular vein descend over?
sternocleidomastoid
where is the anterior jugular vein?
Inferior to hyoid bone
Where does the anterior jugular vein drain into?
externa; jugular and subclavian veins
What do the sides of the anterior jugular vein merge to form?
jugular arch
What 4 cutaneous branches of the cervical plexus become superifial at Erb’s Point?
- Lesser occiptal
- Great auricular
- transverse cervical
- Supraclavicular
What muscles does the accessory nerve provide motor control to?
trapezius and SCM
Where does the accessory nerve pass?
Across the posterior triangle
Where are there no lymph nodes?
In the scalp or face
What lymph nodes accompany the external and internal jugular veins?
deep and superifcial cervical lymph nodes
