Question

Identify the superficial and lateral muscles of the neck and their main functions. (list characteristics for each, attachment sites, list nerves and arteries supplying each, explain role in movement for each, and explain what would happen for each muscles if it were injured or damaged.

Please type or write answers neatly and legibly.

Thank you for your time.

Answer 1

The supericial muscles of the neck are the platysma and sternocleidomastoid. The lateral muscles of the neck are sternocleidomastoid and trapezius. The functions, origins, insertions, nerve supply, blood supply and consequences of damage have been described in the following table:

	Function	Characterisitics	Origin	Insertion	Nerve supply	Blood Supply	Palsy
Platysma	Anterior part depresses the jaw. Produces wrinkling of the skin of the neck in an oblique direction	It is a broad sheet like muscle that covers the upper parts of pectorarlis major and deltoid. It's fibers pass over the clavicle and proceed upward and medially in an oblique fashion along the side of the neck	Subcutaneous tissue of infraclavicular and supraclavicular regions	Base of mandible; skin of cheek and lower lip; angle of mouth; orbicularis oris	Cervical branch of the facial nerve.	Branches of the submental and suprascapular artery	Distorting the shape of the mouth and the skin over the anterior neck region
Sternocleidomastoid	Rotate the head to the opposite side or obliquely rotate the head. It also flexes the neck. When muscles of both side act together, they can flex the head. It is also an accessory muscle of respiration	It passes obliquely across the side of the neck. It is thick and narrow at its central part, but broader and thinner at either end. It arises from the sternum and clavicle by two heads.	Manubrium and medial portion of the clavicle	Mastoid process of the temporal bone, superior nuchal line	Spinal accessory nerve	Occipital artery and the superior thyroid artery	Absence of the normal ridge shape in the neck and produces an impairment of rotary movements of the neck to the healthy side.
Trapezius	Rotation, retraction, elevation, and depression of scapula	Diamond shaped muscle. It extends longitudinally from the occipital bone to the lower thoracic vertebrae of the spine and laterally to the spine of the scapula. It has three functional parts. Upper part supports the arm, middle part retracts the scapula and lower part medially rotates and depresses the scapula	External occipital protuberance, spinous processes of vertebrae C7-T12, Nuchal ligament, Occipital Bone	Nuchal ligament, medial superior nuchal line, posterior border of the lateral one-third of the clavicle, acromion process, and spine of scapula	Spinal accessory nerve	Transverse cervical artery, the dorsal scapular artery, and the posterior intercostal arterial branches	Difficulty with arm adduction and abduction, and associated with a drooping shoulder, and shoulder and neck pain.