Posterior triangle of the neck

Posterior triangle of the neck
Posterior triangle
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

The posterior triangle (or lateral cervical region) is a region of the neck.

Contents

Boundaries

It has the following boundaries:

Apex: Union of the sternocleidomastoid and the trapezius muscles at the superior nuchal line of the occipital bone

Anterior: Posterior border of the sternocleidomastoideus

Posterior: Anterior border of the trapezius

Base: Middle one third of the clavicle

Divisions

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:

Contents

A) Nerves and Plexuses:

B) Vessels:

C) Lymph Nodes:

D) Muscles:

Clinical significance

The Accessory Nerve (CN XI) 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 (e.g., for brushing hair).

The external jugular vein's superficial location also makes it vulnerable to injury.

Gallery

See also

External links

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 As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.