Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38696101›Full record

ReviewAnatomical science international2024

A detailed review of the spinal accessory nerve and its anatomical variations with cadaveric illustration.

Siôn Owain Roberts, Arun Cardozo

Open access · hybridAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Anatomical science international, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
5.7field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Observational
  5. Article
  6. Cancers · 2025
    Review
  7. Article
  8. Level IIb Metastases in cN0 Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Multicenter Retrospective Study.Journal of otolaryngology - head & neck surgery = Le Journal d'oto-rhino-laryngologie et de chirurgie cervico-faciale
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Siôn Owain RobertsDepartment of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, Yorkshire, LS2 9JT, UK. sion.roberts@nhs.net.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-7411-7078
Arun CardozoDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Lancashire Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, Sharoe Green Lane North, Fulwood, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 9HT, UK.
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust · GBUniversity of Leeds · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The spinal accessory nerve, considered part of the eleventh cranial nerve, provides motor innervation to sternocleidomastoid and trapezius. A comprehensive literature review and two cadaveric dissections were undertaken. The spinal accessory nerve originates from the spinal accessory nucleus. Its rootlets unite and ascend between the denticulate ligament and dorsal spinal rootlets. Thereafter, it can anastomose with spinal roots, such as the McKenzie branch, and/or cranial roots. The spinal accessory nerve courses intracranially via foramen magnum and exits via jugular foramen, within which it usually lies anteriorly. Extracranially, it usually crosses anterior to the internal jugular vein and lies lateral to internal jugular vein deep to posterior belly of digastric. The spinal accessory nerve innervates sternocleidomastoid, receives numerous contributions in the posterior triangle and terminates within trapezius. Its posterior triangle course approximates a perpendicular bisection of the mastoid-mandibular angle line. The spinal accessory nerve contains sensory nociceptive fibres. Its cranial nerve classification is debated due to occasional non-fusion with the cranial root. Surgeons should familiarize themselves with the variable course of the spinal accessory nerve to minimize risk of injury. Patients with spinal accessory nerve injuries might require specialist pain management.

Indexed as

Accessory NerveCadaverAnatomic VariationHumansAccessoryClassificationCourseNerveVariation

Identifiers

PMID38696101
PMCPMC11143051
OpenAlexW4396585457

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.