Cervical nerves

Nerve: Ansa cervicalis

Ansa cervicalis of Cervical Nerves 1 through 3. Superior root labeled as "descending hypoglossal", Inferior root labeled as "descending cervical".
Gray's	subject #210 928
Innervates	sternohyoid muscle, sternothyroid muscle, omohyoid muscle

The cervical nerves are the spinal nerves from the cervical vertebrae.

Although there are seven cervical vertebrae (C1-C7), there are eight cervical nerves (C1-C8). All nerves except C8 emerge above their corresponding vertebrae, while the C8 nerve emerges below the C7 vertebra. (In the other portions of the spine, the nerve emerges below the vertebra with the same name.)

Dorsal (posterior) distribution includes the suboccipital (C1), greater occipital (C2) and third occipital (C3).

Ventral (anterior) distribution includes the cervical plexus (C1-C4) and brachial plexus (C5-T1)

Additional images

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.

Nerves: spinal nerves (TA A14.2, GA 9.916)

Cervical (8)

C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8

anterior (Cervical plexus, Brachial plexus) – posterior (Posterior branches of cervical nerves, Suboccipital – C1, Greater occipital – C2, Third occipital – C3)

Thoracic (12)

T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, T8, T9, T10, T11, T12

anterior (Intercostal, Intercostobrachial – T2, Thoraco-abdominal nerves – T7–T11, Subcostal – T12) – posterior (Posterior branches of thoracic nerves)

Lumbar (5)

L1, L2, L3, L4, L5

anterior (Lumbar plexus, Lumbosacral trunk) · posterior (Posterior branches of the lumbar nerves, Superior cluneal L1–L3)

Sacral (5)

S1, S2, S3, S4, S5

anterior (Sacral plexus) · posterior (Posterior branches of sacral nerves, Medial cluneal nerves)

Coccygeal (1)

anterior (Coccygeal plexus) · posterior (Posterior branch of coccygeal nerve)

M: PNS

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noco/auto/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug(N1B)