Posterior triangle of the neck
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| Posterior triangle of the neck | |
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| The triangles of the neck. Posterior triangle labeled in purple. Sternocleidomastoideus runs vertically. Occipital triangle labeled at right, and subclavian triangle labeled at bottom.) | |
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| Side of neck, showing chief surface markings. (Nerves are yellow, arteries are red.) | |
| Latin | regio cervicalis lateralis, trigonum cervicale posterius |
| Gray's | subject #145 563 |
| Dorlands/Elsevier | r_07/12700361 |
The posterior triangle (or lateral cervical region) is a region of the neck.
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[edit] Boundaries
It has the following boundaries:
| its apex union of the Sternocleidomastoid and the Trapezius muscles at the superior nuchal line of the occipital bone |
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| in front the posterior border of the Sternocleidomastoideus |
behind the anterior border of the Trapezius |
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| its base the intermediate third of the clavicle |
[edit] Occipital and subclavian triangles
The posterior triangle is crossed, about 2.5 cm above the clavicle, by the inferior belly of the Omohyoideus, which divides the space into two triangles:
- an upper or occipital triangle
- a lower or subclavian triangle (or supraclavicular triangle)
[edit] Contents
A) Nerves and Plexuses:
- Spinal accessory nerve (Cranial Nerve XI)
- Branches of cervical plexus
- Roots and trunks of brachial plexus
B) Vessels:
- Subclavian artery (Third part)
- Transverse cervical artery
- Suprascapular artery
- Terminal part of external jugular vein
C) Lymph Nodes:
- Occipital
- Supraclavicular
D) Muscles:
- Inferior belly of omohyoid muscle
[edit] Clinical significance
It is particularly vulnerable to damage at lymph node biopsy, where damage results in an inability to shrug the shoulders or raise the arm above the head (eg, for brushing hair)
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Norman/Georgetown lesson5 (necktriangle)
- Norman/Georgetown lesson6
- SUNY Figs 24:01-02 - "Identification of the muscles associated with the posterolateral triangle."
- lateral+cervical+region at eMedicine Dictionary
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.
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