Cervical neurovascular bundle

The cervical neurovascular bundle represents a set of vessels and nerves embedded in the fibrous sheath of the vagina carotica . This cover is separated from the lamina pretrachealis fasciae cervicalis and with the help of it the lamina pretrachealis is anatomically connected to the deep sheet of the cervical fascia.

Neck incision at the level of the 6th vertebra. Cervical fascia is marked in blue, vagina carotica in red

Location[edit | edit source]

The bundle is located laterally from the retropharyngeal space under the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the omohyoid muscle . It extends from the first rib and sternum to the basis cranii externa.

Contents[edit | edit source]

Four main structures that are included in the volume:

common carotid artery (medially),
internal jugular vein (laterally),
n. vagus (back),
radix superior ansae cervicalis (r. descendens nervi hypoglossii , in front).

After the division of the common carotid artery in the trigonum caroticum into the external carotid artery and the internal carotid artery , the internal carotid artery continues in the neurovascular bundle of the neck.