Cervical spinal nerves

CERVICAL SPINAL NERVES

  • There are eight pairs of cervical spinal nerves.
  • The first of these emerges through the intervertebral foramen of atlas, the second through the border of the arch of the axis and the eighth between the seventh cervical and the first dorsal vertebrae.
  • First cervical
    • The dorsal branch supplies the anterior oblique and the dorsal straight muscles of the head and skin.
    • The ventral branch passes out through the alar foramen of atlas, runs across the rectus capitis ventralis major divides near the thyroid gland into anterior and posterior branches.
    • The former to supplies the omohyoideus and the latter joins a branch of the second cervical to supply the sternothyrohyoideus.
  • Second cervical
    • The dorsal branch supplies the muscles and the skin of the occipital region.
    • The ventral branch supplies the rectus capitis ventralis major, sternothyrohyoideus and anastomotic branches to the spinal accessory nerve and ventral divisions of first and third cervical nerves.
    • It also supplies a posterior auricular branch to skin on the convex face of external ear and a cutaneous branch to the parotid region.
  • Third cervical
    • Its dorsal branch supplies the intertransversales colli, multifidus cervicis and complexus.
    • The ventral branch supplies the longus colli, rectus capitis ventralis major, brachiocephalicus, splenius and longissimus capitis et atlantis.
  • Fourth cervical
    • Similar to the preceding.
  • Fifth cervical
    • Similar to the preceding.
    • In addition to supplying the lateral cervical group of muscles it gives a branch to the brachial plexus and another branch to form one of the roots of the phrenic nerve.
  • Sixth cervical
    • Similar to the preceding. In addition to supplying the lateral cervical group of muscles it gives a branch to the brachial plexus and another branch to form one of the roots of the phrenic nerve.
  • Seventh cervical
    • The dorsal branch is small and supplies the longissimus dorsi and multifidus dorsi.
    • The ventral branch gives off a fine branch that forms one of the roots of phrenic nerve and then goes to form the brachial plexus.
  • Eighth cervical
    • The dorsal branch is small and is like that of the seventh.
    • The ventral branch contributes to form the brachial plexus.

Last modified: Sunday, 16 October 2011, 7:42 AM