Spinal root of accessory nerve

Brain stem sagittal section (11 visible near bottom center)

Plan of upper portions of glossopharyngeal, vagus, and accessory nerves.

Details
Identifiers
Latin| radix spinalis nervi accessorii, pars spinalis nervi accessorii
TA98| A14.2.01.186
TA2| 6354
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy

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The spinal root of accessory nerve (or part) is firm in texture, and its fibers arise from the motor cells in the lateral part of the anterior column of the gray substance of the medulla spinalis as low as the fifth cervical nerve.

Passing through the lateral funiculus of the medulla spinalis, they emerge on its surface and unite to form a single trunk, which ascends between the ligamentum denticulatum and the posterior roots of the spinal nerves; enters the skull through the foramen magnum, and is then directed to the jugular foramen, through which it passes, lying in the same sheath of dura mater as the vagus, but separated from it by a fold of the arachnoid.

In the jugular foramen, it receives one or two filaments from the cranial part of the nerve, or else joins it for a short distance and then separates from it again.

As it exits from the jugular foramen, it runs backward in front of the internal jugular vein in 66.6% of cases, and behind it in 33% of cases.

The nerve then descends obliquely behind the Digastricus and Stylohyoideus to the upper part of the Sternocleidomastoideus; it pierces this muscle, and courses obliquely across the posterior triangle of the neck, to end in the deep surface of the Trapezius.

As it traverses the Sternocleidomastoideus it gives several filaments to the muscle, and joins with branches from the second cervical nerve.

In the posterior triangle it unites with the second and third cervical nerves, while beneath the Trapezius it forms a plexus with the third and fourth cervical nerves, and from this plexus fibers are distributed to the muscle.

## References

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This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 913 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

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The cranial nerves

Terminal (CN 0)|

* Nuclei
* septal nuclei
* Course
* no significant branches

Olfactory (CN I)|

* Nuclei
* anterior olfactory nucleus
* Course
* olfactory bulb
* olfactory tract

Optic (CN II)|

* Nuclei
* lateral geniculate nucleus
* Course
* optic chiasm
* optic tract

Oculomotor (CN III)|

* Nuclei
* oculomotor nucleus
* Edinger–Westphal nucleus
* Branches
* superior
* parasympathetic root of ciliary ganglion
* inferior

Trochlear (CN IV)|

* Nucleus
* Branches
* no significant branches

Trigeminal (CN V)|

* Nuclei
* PSN
* spinal trigeminal nucleus
* MN
* TMN
* Course
* trigeminal ganglion
* Branches
* ophthalmic
* maxillary
* mandibular

Abducens (CN VI)|

* Nucleus
* Branches
* no significant branches

Facial (CN VII)|

| Near origin|

* Intermediate nerve
* Geniculate

|

Inside
facial canal|

* Greater petrosal
* pterygopalatine ganglion
* Nerve to the stapedius
* Chorda tympani
* lingual nerve
* submandibular ganglion

At stylomastoid
foramen|

* Posterior auricular
* Suprahyoid
* digastric
* stylohyoid
* Parotid plexus
* temporal
* zygomatic
* buccal
* mandibular
* cervical

Nuclei|

* Facial motor nucleus
* Solitary nucleus
* Superior salivary nucleus

Vestibulocochlear (CN VIII)|

* Nuclei
* vestibular nuclei
* cochlear nuclei
* Cochlear nerve
* striae medullares
* lateral lemniscus
* Vestibular
* Scarpa's ganglion

Glossopharyngeal (CN IX)|

| Before jugular fossa|

* Ganglia
* superior
* inferior

|

After jugular fossa|

* Tympanic
* tympanic plexus
* lesser petrosal
* otic ganglion
* Stylopharyngeal branch
* Pharyngeal branches
* Tonsillar branches
* Lingual branches
* Carotid sinus

Nuclei|

* Nucleus ambiguus
* Inferior salivatory nucleus
* Solitary nucleus

Vagus (CN X)|

| Before jugular fossa|

* Ganglia
* superior
* inferior

|

After jugular fossa|

* Meningeal branch
* Auricular branch

Neck|

* Pharyngeal branch
* pharyngeal plexus
* Superior laryngeal
* external
* internal
* Recurrent laryngeal
* Superior cervical cardiac

Thorax|

* Inferior cardiac
* Pulmonary
* Vagal trunks
* anterior
* posterior

Abdomen|

* Celiac
* Renal
* Hepatic
* Anterior gastric
* Posterior gastric

Nuclei|

* Nucleus ambiguus
* Dorsal nucleus of vagus nerve
* Solitary nucleus

Accessory (CN XI)|

* Nuclei
* nucleus ambiguus
* spinal accessory nucleus
* Cranial
* Spinal

Hypoglossal (CN XII)|

* Nucleus
* Branches
* lingual

Authority control databases |

* Terminologia Anatomica

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