VIVA - Anatomy - Cranial Nerves Flashcards
Hypoglossal - where is it’s nucleus?
- Hypoglossal nucleus adjacent midline in medulla on floor 4th ventricle
- Under hypoglossal trigone
Where does Hypoglossal leave the brainstem?
- Leaves medulla via a series of rootlets between the pyramid and the olive
- Rootlets unite to form 2 roots
- Enter hypoglossal canal separately, divided by a septum of dura which occasionally ossifies but unite within
Where does Hypoglossal exit the skull?
- Emerges from skull at Hypoglossal canal
- Medial to ICA / IJV
- Receives a branch from C1 anterior ramus
- Spirals posterior to inferior ganglion of the vagus nerve
- Exchanges branches with vagus / SNS
Describe Hypoglossal’s extracranial course
- Passes between ICA (Deep) and IJV (Superficial), deep to the posterior belly of the digastric and in doing so passes thru the carotid sheath
- Passes deep to IJV in <10%
- It then descends on the carotid sheath, deep to styloid muscles and posterior belly digastric
- It hooks around (under) the origin of the occipital artery (off ECA) and curves forward lateral to the ICA, ECA and Lingual arteries
- Just below the posterior belly of digastric – 3-7mm
- Just above the tip of the greater cornu of the hyoid.
- Deep to digastric tendon and SMG
- Runs forward on lower border hyoglossus deep to Mylohyoid, accompanied by veins draining the tip of tongue.
- Note the lingual artery moves deep to hyoglossus.
- Enters the mouth
- Supplies all tongue muscles except Palatoglossus
- At the anterior border of hyoglossus the trunk breaks into multiple radiating branches
What is Hypoglossal’s relationship to the occipital artery?
Hooks around occipital artery
What muscles does Hypoglossal supply?
Thyrohyoid
Geniohyoid
All tongue muscles except palatoglossus
What are Hypoglossal’s branches?
- All non-lingual branches are derived from C1
- Meningeal branch to posterior cranial fossa enters via hypoglassal canal
- Superior root Ansa Cervicalis (C1) as it crosses ICA, curling around occipital artery
- Joins inferior root
- Run on IJV within the anterior layer of the carotid sheath
- Nerve to Thyrohyoid (Also C1 @ Lingual a)
- Nerve to Geniohyoid (@ mouth above mylohyoid)
- Tongue branches
- Tongue is derived from suboccipital myotomes
- These pass between the carotid vessels deep to the IJV
Drag nerve with them
Tongue deviates towards or away from a Hypoglossal lesion?
Tongue will deviate towards affected side on testing
Where is accessory’s nucleus?
Bulbar (cranial) motor fibres originate in lower nucleus ambiguous
Spinal motor fibres from spinal nucleus of accessory nerve
- Spinal fibres arise from C2/3/4 anterior horn
- Enter posterior fossa via foramen magnum
- Arise from rootlets posterior to the denticulate ligament which unite into a single trunk
Describe accessory’s intracranial component
Bulbar portion travels anterolaterally to exit lateral medulla in post-olivary sulcus inferior to CN IX and X à through basal cistern
Bulbar and spinal portions join within lateral basal cistern
Where does accessory exit the skull?
Pars vascularis of jugular foramen (middle section)
What are the landmarks (name 5) for finding the accessory intraoperatively?
1cm above Erbs point
Enters trapezius muscle 3-5cm above clavicle (lower 1/3)
Under posterior belly of digastric
Crosses the anterior /lateral surface of the IJV
- 70% anterior
- 26.8% posterior
- 3.2% through
Upper branch of occipital artery is a guide to the accessory nerve in front of the upper border of the SCM
How do you tell accessory from the cervical plexus?
Cervical plexus come from deep to fascia
On which muscle of the posterior triangle does accessory run?
Levator scapulae
Between which parts of the SCM does accessory run?
Between cleidomastoid (deep) and remaining parts
If the accessory branches before trapezius, which is the main trunk (upper or lower)?
Lower
What connections does accessory have to the cervical branches in the neck?
Branches from C2 +/- 3 join in posterior triangle
Branches from C3/4 join under trapezius
Which way does the head turn with contraction of the SCM?
Contraction of one muscle produces the ‘wry neck’ position with the ear approaching the tip of the shoulder and the chin rotating to the opposite side