What forms the superior boundary of the neck?
Inf. margins of mandible/skull
superior nuchal line
What forms the inferior boundary of the neck?
Acromia/clavicle/sternum
spinous process C7
What are the main triangles of the neck?
Anterior & posterior
What’s a major structural landmark forming the boundaries of both major triangles?
SCM- Sternocleidomastoid
What are the boundaries of the anterior triangle of the neck?
Ant. border of SCM
midline of neck
inf. margin of mandible
Where can major structures of the head and thorax be accessed surgically?
Anterior triangle
What are the boundaries of the posterior triangle of the neck?
Post. border of sternocleidomastoid
Middle 1/3 of clavicle inferiorly
ant. border of trapezius muscle
What other structures can help define cross sectional levels of the neck in addition to the cervical vertebrae? (4)
Hyoid bone
Thyroid cartilage
Cricoid cartilage
Tracheal rings
What structures form the musculofascial collar?
SCM
Trapezius
Infrahyoid strap muscles
Surrounding fascia
What’s contained in the vertebral compartment of the neck?
Cervical vertebrae & associated muscles
What does the visceral compartment contain?
Thyroid parathyroids part of respiratory tract part of digestive tract larynx/trachea pharynx/oesophagus
What does the vascular compartment contain?
Major blood vessels & vagus nerve
What structures are contained in the carotid sheath?
Common/internal carotids
Internal jugular vein
Vagus nerve
Deep cervical lymph nodes
Where does the carotid sheath run superiorly from & to?
Runs superiorly from origin of common carotid arteries to the base of the skull
Where do the common carotid arteries arise from?
Brachiocephalic trunk on the right/ directly from aortic arch on left
What is the internal jugular vein a continuation of?
Sigmoid sinus
What does the internal jugular vein drain into?
Brachiocephalic veins
At what cervical vertebra do the common carotid arteries bifurcate into their terminal branches?
C4
What are the terminal branches of the CCA
External carotid
internal carotid
What does the external carotid artery supply?
External head & neck
What does the internal carotid artery supply?
Intracranial structures & eye
What is the carotid sinus?
A dilation at the terminal part of the CCA
What is the importance of the carotid sinus?
Contains baroreceptors that monitor blood pressure
What monitors blood composition? (chemoreceptors)
Carotid body
