Cervical Plexus

Lesser occipital nerve

-C2 -Supplies skin of the neck and posterior-superior scalp

Transverse cervical nerve

-C2,C3 -Aka anterior cutaneous nerve -supplies skin of the anterior cervical region

Greater auricular nerve

-C2,C3 -Supplies the skin over the mastoid process and auricle

Supraclavicular nerve

-C3,C4 -Supplies the skin of the neck and shoulder

Cervical plexus

-Cluster of nerves formed by the ventral rami of the first 4 cervical spinal nerves C1-C4 -Consists of nerves loops & branches that arise from the nerve roots -Formed in the neck and lies deep to the sternocleidomastoid m. and anterolateral to the levator scapulae and the middle scalene muscles

Phrenic nerve path

-Forms at the superior lateral border of the scalene muscle at the level of the superior thyroid cartilage -Descends with IJV -Runs posteriorly to the subclavian vein -Anterior to the internal thoracic artery

deep branches

-branches of the plexus are motor branches -innervate muscles of the anterior neck and diaphragm -Ansa Cervicalis -Phrenic Nerve C3-C5

superficial branches of the plexus

-cutaneous(sensory) branches -cutaneous branches that arise from the nerve loop between C2 and C3: -Lesser occipital nerve (C2) -Greater auricular nerve (C2,C3) -Transverse cervical nerve (C2,C3) -Supraclavicular nerve (C3,C4)

Ansa Cervicalis

-innervates the infrahyoid & geniohyoid mm. -Superior root derived from C1 and connects with CN XII -Inferior root derived from C2 and C3

Phrenic nerve

C3-C5 -mostly from C4 -innervates the diaphragm -branches innervate the mediastinal pleura and pericardium

muscular branch

anterior branch of cervical plexus

cutaneous branch

posterior branch of cervical plexus