Transverse cervical nerve

Nerve: Transverse cervical nerve
The nerves of the scalp, face, and side of neck. ("Cervical cutaneous" identified at center.)
Plan of the cervical plexus. ("Superficial cervical" labeled at center.)
Latin	nervus transversus colli
Gray's	subject #210 927
Innervates	Cutaneious innervation of the anterior and lateral parts of the neck
From	cervical plexus (C2 and C3)

The transverse cervical nerve (superficial cervical or cutaneous cervical) arises from the second and third cervical nerves, turns around the posterior border of the sternocleidomastoideus about its middle, and, passing obliquely forward beneath the external jugular vein to the anterior border of the muscle, it perforates the deep cervical fascia, and divides beneath the Platysma into ascending and descending branches, which are distributed to the antero-lateral parts of the neck.

During dissection, the SCM is the landmark. The transverse cervical nerves will pass horizontally directly over the SCM from Erb's point.

Additional images

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  Dermatome distribution of the trigeminal nerve

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  Side of neck, showing chief surface markings.

External links

• SUNY Figs 25:03-07
• lesson6 at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University)
• transverse+cervical+nerve at eMedicine Dictionary

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 As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.