Sternocleidomastoid muscle
The sternocleidomastoid muscle (also known as sternomastoid) is found in the neck. It has two heads that meld to form one insertion. Sternocleidomastoid muscle, along with the trapezius muscle, is invested by the superficial layer of the deep cervical fascia, which splits around it. Sternocleidomastoid muscle divides the neck into anatomical anterior and posterior triangles.
On this page:
Summary
- origin: manubrium, medial clavicle
- insertion: mastoid process, superior nuchal line
- innervation: accessory nerve (CN XI)
- action: lateral flexion, flexion and rotation of the head on the neck
Gross anatomy
Origin
- sternal head (round and tendinous): upper part of anterior surface of manubrium of sternum
- clavicular head (thin and broader fleshy): upper surface of medial third of clavicle
Course
- sternal head passes over the sternoclavicular joint and joins the clavicular head halfway up the neck
- common muscle belly then courses posterolaterally to its insertion
Insertion
- mastoid process of temporal bone
- lateral half of the superior nuchal line of the occipital bone
Relations
-
upper half
- posteriorly: cervical plexus, which emerges from behind the lateral border of sternocleidomastoid muscle with some branches (lesser occipital, greater auricular and transverse cervical nerves) coursing anteriorly
- anteriorly: platysma muscle, external jugular vein
-
lower half
- posteriorly: anterior scalene muscle, common carotid artery, internal jugular vein, carotid sheath
- anteriorly: platysma
Arterial supply
- superior thyroid and occipital arteries (both branches of the external carotid artery)
Innervation
- spinal part (C2, C3) of the accessory nerve (cranial nerve XI)
- the nerve descends and enters the muscle from its deep surface
Action
- when acting unilaterally: lateral flexion of neck to same side, rotates head to opposite side
- when acting bilaterally: flexes neck, draws head ventrally and elevates chin, draws sternum superiorly in deep inspiration
Variant anatomy
- absent mastoid insertion (occipital insertion only)
- absent clavicular or sternal head
- fusion with trapezius muscle
- additional clavicular head
- separate muscle bellies for sternomastoid and cleidomastoid
- separate muscle bellies for cleido-occipital and sternocleidomastoid
- doubles or quadrupled unilaterally or bilaterally
- absent unilaterally or bilaterally
Related pathology
Related Radiopaedia articles
Anatomy: Head and neck
- skeleton of the head and neck
-
cranial vault
- scalp (mnemonic)
- fontanelle
-
sutures
- calvarial
- facial
- frontozygomatic suture
- frontomaxillary suture
- frontolacrimal suture
- frontonasal suture
- temporozygomatic suture
- zygomaticomaxillary suture
- parietotemporal suture (parietomastoid suture)
- occipitotemporal suture (occipitomastoid suture)
- sphenofrontal suture
- sphenozygomatic suture
- spheno-occipital suture (not a true suture)
- lacrimomaxillary suture
- nasomaxillary suture
- internasal suture
- basal/internal
- skull landmarks
- frontal bone
- temporal bone
- parietal bone
- occipital bone
- skull base (foramina)
-
facial bones
- midline single bones
- paired bilateral bones
- cervical spine
- hyoid bone
- laryngeal cartilages
-
cranial vault
- muscles of the head and neck
- muscles of the tongue (mnemonic)
- muscles of mastication
-
muscles of facial expression
- occipitalis muscle
- circumorbital and palpebral muscles
- nasal muscles
- buccolabial muscles
- elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip
- levator labii superioris alaeque nasalis muscle
- levator labii superioris muscle
- zygomaticus major muscle
- zygomaticus minor muscle
- malaris muscle
- levator anguli oris muscle
- risorius muscle
- depressors, retractors and evertors of the lower lip
- depressor labii inferioris muscle
- depressor anguli oris muscle
- mentalis muscle
- compound sphincter
- orbicularis oris muscle
- incisivus superior muscle
- incisivus inferior muscle
- muscle of mastication:
- elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip
- muscles of the middle ear
- orbital muscles
- muscles of the soft palate
- pharyngeal muscles
- suprahyoid muscles
- infrahyoid muscles
- intrinsic muscles of the larynx
- muscles of the neck
- accessory muscles of the neck
- deep cervical fascia
-
deep spaces of the neck
- anterior cervical space
- buccal space
- carotid space
- danger space
- deep cervical fascia
- infratemporal fossa
- masticator space
- parapharyngeal space
- stylomandibular tunnel
- parotid space
- pharyngeal (superficial) mucosal space
- perivertebral space
- posterior cervical space
- pterygopalatine fossa
- retropharyngeal space
- suprasternal space (of Burns)
- visceral space
- surgical triangles of the neck
- orbit
- ear
- paranasal sinuses
- nose
- oral cavity
- pharynx
- larynx
- viscera of the neck
- blood supply of the head and neck
-
arterial supply
-
common carotid artery
- carotid body
- carotid bifurcation
- subclavian artery
- variants
-
common carotid artery
- venous drainage
-
arterial supply
- innervation of the head and neck
-
cranial nerves
- olfactory nerve (CN I)
- optic nerve (CN II)
- oculomotor nerve (CN III)
- trochlear nerve (CN IV)
-
trigeminal nerve (CN V) (mnemonic)
- trigeminal ganglion
- ophthalmic division
- maxillary division
- mandibular division
- abducens nerve (CN VI)
- facial nerve (CN VII)
-
vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)
- vestibular ganglion (Scarpa's ganglion)
- glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
-
vagus nerve (CN X)
- superior laryngeal nerve
- recurrent laryngeal nerve (inferior laryngeal nerve)
- (spinal) accessory nerve (CN XI)
- hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
- parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck
- greater occipital nerve
- third occipital nerve
-
cervical plexus
- muscular branches
- longus capitis
- longus colli
- scalenes
- geniohyoid
- thyrohyoid
-
ansa cervicalis
- omohyoid (superior and inferior bellies separately)
- sternothyroid
- sternohyoid
- phrenic nerve
- contribution to the accessory nerve (CN XI)
- cutaneous branches
- muscular branches
- brachial plexus
- pharyngeal plexus
-
cranial nerves
- lymphatic drainage of the head and neck
- embryological development of the head and neck
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