During dissection of the neck, a nerve is seen hooking around the origin of the occipital artery before entering the tongue. Fibers from which spinal nerve travel briefly with this nerve and leave it as the superior root of the ansa cervicalis?

• A C5
• B C2
• C C3
• D C1 ✓

Explanation

The hypoglossal nerve hooks around the occipital artery and runs forward on hyoglossus to supply all intrinsic and extrinsic tongue muscles except palatoglossus. Fibers from the ventral ramus of C1 join the hypoglossal nerve shortly after it exits the hypoglossal canal and travel with it, supplying the thyrohyoid and geniohyoid directly, then leaving as the superior root of the ansa cervicalis to supply the infrahyoid strap muscles.

Reference: Gray's Anatomy for Students, 4th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.