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Atlantooccipital joint, atlantoaxial joint and cervical vertebrae dissected from behind

Relations of left sternocleidomastoid muscle, internal jugular vein, cervical plexus and cervical vertebrae, viewed from behind

Image #218-4

KEYWORDS: Cervical region, Vertebral column.

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Atlantooccipital joint, atlantoaxial joint and cervical vertebrae dissected from behind

Relations of left sternocleidomastoid muscle, internal jugular vein, cervical plexus and cervical vertebrae, viewed from behind

The cervical fascia has been removed from the deep surface of the upper part of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the muscle has been retracted slightly laterally. The levator scapulae (29) has been cut from its origins and retracted medially. Parts of the cervical plexus (19,24) and some of its branches (11,12) have been exposed by removing the prevertebral fascia. The carotid sheath has been resected to reveal the internal jugular vein lying anterior to the cervical plexus. The upper cervical vertebrae have been cut and exposed in various ways to demonstrate the relations of ligaments, joint cavities, nerves and blood vessels to these bones.

1 .	Internal jugular vein (pointer at inferior margin of jugular foramen)
2 .	Hypoglossal nerve (XII)
3 .	Accessory nerve (XI)
4 .	Tendon of insertion of longissimus capitis muscle (divided by occipital artery)
5 .	Splenius capitis muscle (cut across)
6 .	Ventral branch cervical nerve I
7 .	Posterior belly of digastric muscle
8 .	Levator scapulae muscle (cut across a similar, more inferior origin is visible medial to the third cervical nerve (24))
9 .	Sternocleidomastoid muscle
10 .	Ascending cervical artery
11 .	Lesser occipital nerve
12 .	Upper pointer: Greater auricular nerve and superficial transverse nerve Lower pointer: Supraclavicular nerves
13 .	Fascia within posterior cervical triangle
14 .	External jugular vein (cut across)
15 .	Upper pointer: Foramen magnum (anterior margin) Lower pointer: Dens (axis)
16 .	Alar ligament
17 .	Median atlantoaxial joint
18 .	Obliquus capitis inferior muscle (cut across)
19 .	Cervical nerve II
20 .	Upper pointer: Arch of axis Lower pointer: Roots of cervical nerve III
21 .	Semispinalis capitis muscle
22 .	Splenius capitis muscle
23 .	Upper pointer: Basivertebral vein (cut off at junction with anterior internal vertebral venous plexus) Lower pointer: Body of vertebra C. III
24 .	Cervical nerve III
25 .	Intervertebral joint nerve III-IV
26 .	Ganglion cervical nerve V
27 .	Intervertebral disc C. IV - V
28 .	Superior articular surface vertebra C. VI
29 .	Levator scapulae muscle (also see 8 above)