Anterior Neck & Thorax

Dissection Summary

Part I: Remove the Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue of the Anterior Thoracic Wall

• Clean the pectoralis major and serratus anterior muscles

• Find the cephalic v. in the deltopectoral triangle 

• Identify the long thoracic n. on the superficial surface of the serratus anterior m.  

Part II Locate Pectoral Neurovasculature 

• Reflect pectoralis major muscles 

• Identify pectoralis minor muscles deep to pectoralis major muscles 

• Identify the neurovasculature associated with the pectoral region:

  • Medial pectoral n.

  • Lateral pectoral n.

  • Pectoral branches of thoraco-acromial a. 

• Reflect pectoralis minor m. to better locate medial pectoral n.

Part III Remove the Skin of the Neck

• Remove skin from the anterolateral neck 

• Take care to preserve the superficial external jugular v. (EJV)

• Clean the musculature of the neck 

Part IV Locate Neck Musculature 

• Define the borders of sternocleidomastoid (SCM) m. 

• Determine the boundaries of the anterior cervical triangle 

• Reflect the SCM and visualize the structures deep to it

  • Identify the accessory nerve deep to SCM m.

• Clean and distinguish the infrahyoid (strap) mm.

  • Sternohyoid m.

  • Omohyoid m.

  • Sternothyroid m.

  • Thyrohyoid m.

Part V Locate and Identify the Contents of the Carotid Sheath 

• Find the carotid sheath deep to the SCM

• Clean the sheath, and identify the ansa cervicalis running superficial to, or embedded within, the sheath

• Open the sheath to reveal its contents:

  • Proximal portion of the internal carotid a.

  • Common carotid a.

  • Internal jugular v.

  • Vagus n. (CN X)

Part VI Locate Thyroid & Parathyroid Glands and Neurovasculature

• Reflect the infrahyoid muscles to view the thyroid gland 

  • Observe the lobes and isthmus of this gland

• Clean the thyroid vasculature:

  • Superior thyroid artery (inferior thyroid artery to be cleaned in next step)

  • Superior, middle, and inferior thyroid veins 

• Make a midsagittal cut through the isthmus of the thyroid gland 

• Reflect each lobe of the gland in order to visualize the parathyroid glands and inferior thyroid artery