Abstract
The anterior branches of the first four cervical spinal nerves form the cervical plexus, which is covered by the sternocleidomastoid muscle. The superficial branches of the cervical plexus, which penetrate the cervical fascia and pass to the skin, include the sensory lesser occipital nerve (anterior branch from C2 and C3). This emerges at the posterior edge of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, above its midpoint. It ascends steeply along the splenius capitis muscle and divides into several branches. The areas it supplies include the skin on the upper exterior side of the neck, the upper part of the auricle, and the adjoining skin of the scalp (Figs. 12.1, 12.2, 12.3, and 12.4).
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Jankovic, D., Peng, P.W.H. (2015). Occipital Nerves. In: Regional Nerve Blocks in Anesthesia and Pain Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05131-4_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05131-4_12
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