X CLOSE

Dissection of anterior and lateral regions of neck

Vertebral artery; gray communicating rami of cervical sympathetic trunk, left anterolateral view

Stanford holds the copyright to the David L. Bassett anatomical images and has assigned Creative Commons license Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International to all of the images.
For additional information regarding use and permissions, please contact Dr. Drew Bourn at dbourn@stanford.edu.

Image #78-4
Bassett Image
Diagram Image
Legend Image
Dissection of anterior and lateral regions of neck
Vertebral artery; gray communicating rami of cervical sympathetic trunk, left anterolateral view
The longus colli, rectus capitis anterior, rectus capitis lateralis and some of the intertransverse muscles have been cut away. In addition, the transverse processes of the atlas, epistropheus and fifth cervical vertebra have been cut so that the course of the vertebral artery (17) is visible. The artery did not pass through the transverse process of the sixth cervical vertebra in this specimen.
  1. Nasal cavity (for details refer to reel 72-3)
  2. Area of insertion of longus capitis muscle
  3. Nasal part pharynx (for details refer to reel 78-5)
  4. Longus colli muscle (transected close to insertion on anterior tubercle atlas)
  5. Superior cervical ganglion
  6. Lingual nerve
  7. Areas of insertion of Iongus colli muscle on bodies of cervical vertebraes III-V
  8. Upper pointer: Position of intervertebral disc uniting cervical vertebrae IV-V Lower pointer: Body of cervical vertebra V
  9. Internal carotid artery
  10. Hypoglossal nerve (XII) near hypoglossal canal
  11. Atlanto-occipital articulation
  12. Anterior branch of cervical nerve I (branch communicating with hypoglossal nerve cut away)
  13. Posterior arch of atlas
  14. Articulation of atlas-axis
  15. Anterior branch of cervical nerve II
  16. Gray rami communicantes
  17. Vertebral artery
  18. Cervical nerve III
  19. Intertransverse muscle (anterior)
  20. Posterior branch cervical nerve IV
  21. Intertransverse muscle (posterior)
  22. Anterior branch of cervical nerve IV
  23. Gray rami communicans
  24. Sympathetic trunk
  25. Anterior tubercle cervical vertebra V
  26. Cervical nerve VI