Quick Facts
Origin: Anterior rami of first and second cervical nerves.
Course: Descends from the hypoglossal nerve between internal jugular vein and carotid arteries.
Branches: Branches to infrahyoid muscles.
Supply: Superior belly of omohyoid muscle, the sternohyoid and sternothyroid muscles.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
Communicating motor neuronal fibers emerge from the loop between the anterior rami of the first and second cervical nerves and travel through the hypoglossal nerve. Some of these fibers leave the nerve as the superior root of ansa cervicalis.
Course
The superior root descends between internal jugular vein and carotid arteries. It unites with the inferior root to form the ansa cervicalis.
Branches
The superior root of the ansa cervicalis provides muscular branches to infrahyoid muscles.
Supplied Structures
The superior root of the ansa cervicalis innervates the superior belly of omohyoid muscle and the upper parts of sternohyoid and sternothyroid muscles.
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Ansa Cervicalis
The ansa cervicalis is a plexus of nerves that arise from the cervical plexus, formed by the anterior rami of the first four cervical nerves.
