Cervical Plexus - Branches

Branches

The cervical plexus has two types of branches: cutaneous and muscular.

  • Cutaneous (4 branches):
    • Lesser occipital nerve - innervates lateral part of occipital region (C2 ONLY)
    • Great auricular nerve - innervates skin near concha auricle and external acoustic meatus (C2&C3)
    • Transverse cervical nerve - innervates anterior region of neck (C2&C3)
    • Supraclavicular nerves - innervate region of supraspinatus, shoulder, and upper thoracic region (C3,C4)
  • Muscular
    • Ansa cervicalis (loop formed from C1-C3), etc. (geniohyoid (C1 only), thyrohyoid (C1 only), sternothyroid, sternohyoid, omohyoid)
    • Phrenic (C3-C5 (primarily C4))-innervates diaphragm and the pericardium
    • Segmental branches (C1-C4)- innervates anterior and middle scalenes

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