cervical plexus

(noun)

A plexus of the ventral rami of the first four cervical spinal nerves that are located from the C1 to C4 cervical segment in the neck. They are located laterally to the transverse processes of the prevertebral muscles from the medial side and vertebral (scalenus, levator scapulae, splenius cervicis muscles) from the lateral side.

Related Terms

  • sympathetic trunk
  • platysma
  • plexus

Examples of cervical plexus in the following topics:

  • Cervical Plexus

    • The cervical plexus is the plexus of the ventral rami of the first four cervical spinal nerves.
    • The cervical plexus is a plexus of the ventral rami of the first four cervical spinal nerves located from the C1 to C4 cervical segment in the neck.
    • Nerves formed from the cervical plexus innervate the back of the head, as well as some neck muscles.
    • The cervical plexus has two types of branches: cutaneous and muscular.
    • The great auricular nerve originates from the cervical plexus and is composed of branches from spinal nerves C2 and C3.
  • Plexuses

    • The cervical plexus is formed by the ventral rami of the upper four cervical nerves and the upper part of fifth cervical ventral ramus.
    • The plexus extends toward the armpit (axilla).
    • The lumbar plexus is formed by the ventral rami of L1–L5 spinal nerves with a contribution of T12 form the lumbar plexus.
    • In addition, the celiac plexus serves the internal organs, and Auerbach's plexus serves the gastrointestinal tract.
    • Cervical (C5–C8) and thoracic (T1) nerves comprise the brachial plexus, which is a nerve plexus that provides sensory and motor function to the shoulders and upper limbs.
  • Brachial Plexus

    • The brachial plexus is formed by the four lower cervical spinal nerves and the first thoracic spinal nerve.
    • The brachial plexus is a network of nerve fibers that run from the spine that are formed by the ventral rami of the lower four cervical and first thoracic nerve roots (C5–C8, T1).
    • Lesions on the brachial plexus can lead to severe functional impairment.
    • The brachial plexus is divided into roots, trunks, divisions, cords, and branches.
    • The right brachial plexus with its short branches, viewed from the front.
  • Overview of the Spinal Nerves

    • Thus the cervical nerves are numbered by the vertebra below, except C8, which exists below C7 and above T1.
    • The anterior distribution includes the cervical plexus (C1–C4) and brachial plexus (C5–T1).
    • The muscles innervated by the cervical nerves are the sternohyoid, sternothyroid, and omohyoid muscles.
    • A loop of nerves called ansa cervicalis is also part of the cervical plexus.
    • Its anterior root helps form the coccygeal plexus.
  • Intercostal Nerves

    • They differ from the anterior divisions of the other spinal nerves in that each pursues an independent course without plexus formation.
    • The larger branch leaves the thorax in front of the neck of the first rib and enters the brachial plexus.
    • The branch from the second nerve unites with the anterior supraclavicular nerves of the cervical plexus.
  • Injuries to Nerves Emerging from the Brachial Plexus

    • These nerves originate in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth cervical (C5-C8), and first thoracic (T1) spinal nerves, and innervate the muscles and skin of the chest, shoulder, arm, and hand.
    • The brachial plexus may be injured by falls from a height on to the side of the head and shoulder, whereby the nerves of the plexus are violently stretched.
    • Most infrequently, sudden upward pulling on an abducted arm (as when someone breaks a fall by grasping a tree branch) produces a lower brachial plexus lesion, in which the eighth cervical (C8) and first thoracic (T1) nerves are injured "either before or after they have joined to form the lower trunk.
    • Cervical (C5-C8) and thoracic (T1) comprise the brachial plexus, which is a nerve plexus that provides sensory and motor function to the shoulders and upper limbs.
    • Describe the effects of injuries to the nerves of the brachial plexus
  • Autonomic Plexuses

    • The autonomic plexuses include the cardiac plexus, the pulmonary plexus, the esophageal plexus, and abdominal aortic plexus, and the superior and inferior hypogastric plexuses.
    • It is formed by the superior cardiac branch of the left sympathetic trunk and the lower superior cervical cardiac branch of the left vagus nerve.
    • The esophageal plexus and the cardiac plexus contain the same types of fibers and are both considered thoracic autonomic plexus(es).
    • Superior hypogastric plexus: The superior hypogastric plexus (in older texts, hypogastric plexus or presacral nerve) is a plexus of nerves situated on the vertebral bodies below the bifurcation of the abdominal aorta.
    • Inferior hypogastric plexus: The inferior hypogastric plexus (pelvic plexus in some texts) is a plexus of nerves that supplies the viscera of the pelvic cavity.
  • Function and Physiology of the Spinal Nerves

    • Each pair of spinal nerves roughly correspond to a segment of the vertebral column: 8 cervical spinal nerve pairs (C1–C8), 12 thoracic pairs (T1–T12), 5 lumbar pairs (L1–L5), 5 sacral pairs (S1–S5), and 1 coccygeal pair.
    • The first 4 cervical spinal nerves, C1 through C4, split and recombine to produce a variety of nerves that subserve the neck and back of the head.
    • The last four cervical spinal nerves, C5 through C8, and the first thoracic spinal nerve, T1, combine to form the brachial plexus, or plexus brachialis, a tangled array of nerves, splitting, combining and recombining to form the nerves that subserve the upper limb region and upper back.
    • Although the brachial plexus may appear tangled, it is highly organized and predictable with little variation among people.
    • For descriptive purposes, this plexus is usually divided into three parts: lumbar plexus, sacral plexus, and pudendal plexus.
  • Branches of Spinal Nerves

    • Some ventral rami merge with adjacent ventral rami to form a nerve plexus, a network of interconnecting nerves.
    • Nerves emerging from a plexus contain fibers from various spinal nerves, which are now carried together to some target location.
    • Major plexuses include the cervical, brachial, lumbar, and sacral plexuses.
  • Sacral and Coccygeal Plexuses

    • The sacral plexus is the plexus of the three sacral spinal nerves (S2–S4) that arise from the lower back just above the sacrum.
    • The sacral plexus is a nerve plexus that provides motor and sensory nerves for the posterior thigh, most of the lower leg, the entire foot, and part of the pelvis.
    • Often, the sacral plexus and the lumbar plexus are considered to be one large nerve plexus, the lumbosacral plexus.
    • The coccygeal plexus originates from the S4, S5, and Co1 spinal nerves.
    • It is interconnected with the lower part of the sacral plexus.
Subjects
  • Accounting
  • Algebra
  • Art History
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Calculus
  • Chemistry
  • Communications
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Microbiology
  • Physics
  • Physiology
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Statistics
  • U.S. History
  • World History
  • Writing

Except where noted, content and user contributions on this site are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 with attribution required.