| Pretracheal fascia | |
|---|---|
 Section of the neck at about the level of the sixthcervical vertebra. Showing the arrangement of thefascia coli. | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | lamina praetrachealis fasciae cervicalis |
| TA98 | A04.2.05.004 |
| TA2 | 2210 |
| FMA | 46559 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
Thepretracheal fascia is a layer of thedeep cervical fascia at the front of the neck. It attaches to thehyoid bone above, and - extending down into thethorax - blends with thefibrous pericardium below. It encloses thethyroid gland andparathyroid glands,trachea, andesophagus.[1] It extends medially in front of thecarotid vessels. It assists in forming thecarotid sheath.
The back portion of the pretracheal fascia is known as thebuccopharyngeal fascia.[1]
The pretracheal fascia is continued behind thedepressor muscles of thehyoid bone. After enveloping thethyroid gland, it is prolonged in front of thetrachea to meet the corresponding layer of the opposite side. The pretracheal layer of the deep cervical fascia passes in front of thecarotid sheath (i.e.,common carotid artery,internal jugular vein, andvagus nerve) and in front of the cervical viscera (larynx,oesophagus, andpharynx). The muscular layer ensheathes theinfrahyoid muscles.
Above, the pretracheal fascia is fixed to thehyoid bone. Below, it is carried downward in front of the trachea and large vessels at the root of the neck, and ultimately blends with the fibrouspericardium.[2]
The pretracheal fascia is fused on either side with theprevertebral fascia, and with it completes the compartment containing thelarynx andtrachea, thethyroid gland, and thepharynx andesophagus.[2]
The pretracheal fascia encloses thethyroid gland, and is responsible for its movement duringdeglutition.
This article incorporates text in thepublic domain frompage 390 of the 20th edition ofGray's Anatomy(1918)
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