Neck Anatomy .. Lec7
Anatomy of pharynx

• Pharyngeal cavity is a common pathway for air and food .
• Attached above to the base of the skull and its continuous below
approximately at the level of C6 .
• Anterior relation of pharynx subdivided into three region :
- Nasopharynx
- Oropharynx
- Laryngopharynx
Note / Pharyngotympanic tube open into the lateral wall of
the nasopharynx .
Note / Pharyngeal wall is formed by four main layers :
- Pharyngeobasilar facsia
- Inner longitudinal muacle
- Outer circular muscle
- Buccopharyngeal fascia

Muscle of the pharynx

• The first group of muscle is called constrictor muacle .
• All these muscle inserted posteriorly into pharyngeal raphe .
• All these muscle innervation by pharyngeal branch of the vagus nerve .
1- Superior Constrictor muscle
• Origin : Pterygomandibular raphe .
• Insertion : Pharyngeal raphe .
• Innervation : Vagus nerve .
• Action : Constrictor of pharynx .
2- Middle Constrictor muscle
• Origin : Greater horn of hyoid bone and stylohyoid ligament .
• Insertion : Pharyngeal raphe .
• Innervation : Vagus nerve .
• Action : Constrictor of pharynx .

3- Inferior Constrictor muscle
• Origin : Cricoid cartilage , Oblique line of thyroid cartilage .
• Insertion : Pharyngeal raphe .
• Innervation : Vagus nerve .
• Action : Consrriction of pharynx .

Palatopharyngeal sphnicter or muscle of passavant

Longitudinal muscle of the pharynx

Gaps between muscle
1- Gap located above the superior constrictor muscle : structures
passes from these gap is ;
- Levator velii palatine .
- Pharyngotympanic tube .
- Ascending palatine artery
- Covered by pharyngobasilar fascia.
2- Gap between Superior and middle constrictor muscle :
- Stylopharyngeus muscle .
- Glossopharyngeal nerve .
- stylohyoid ligament .

3- Gap between the middle and inferior constrictor muscle :
- Internal laryngeal nerve .
- Superior laryngeal artery .
4- Gap below the inferior constrictor muscle :
- Recurrent laryngeal nerve .
- Inferior laryngeal artery .

Pyriform recess
• Between Q membrane and
thyrohyoid membrane .
• most common site of fish bone .

Blood supply of pharynx
• Upper part of pharynx supplying by :
- Ascending pharyngeal artery
- ascending palatine and tonsilar artery of facial artery.
- Also branches from maxillary and lingual artery .
• Lower part of pharynx supplying by :
- Pharyngeal branch of inferior thyroid artery .
Note / major blood supply of palatine tonsil is tonsilar
artery of facial artery .

Nerve supply of pharynx
• Pharyngeal plexus is formex by :
- Pharyngeal branch of vagus .
- Pharyngeal branch of glossopharyngeal nerve .
- External laryngeal nerve of superior laryngeal nerve .
- sympathetic fibers of superior cervical ganglion .
Note / All muscle of pharynx innervation by vagus nerve
except stylopharyngeus muscle .

Sensory innervation
1- Nasopharynx : Pharyngeal branch of maxillary nerve .
2- Oropharynx : Glossopharyngeal nerve .
3- Hypopharynx : Internal branch of superior laryngeal nerve .