Neurosurgery notes/Anatomy/Cranial nerves/CN 12

CN 12

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Cranial nerves

Function:

  • Innervates all of the intrinsic and the extrinsic muscles of the tongue
    • Except for the palatoglossus muscle, which is innervated by CN X.

Course

  • Exit the skull skull via the Hypoglossal canal (aka: Ant condylar canal).
  • Located within occipital bone and runs lateral to and slightly forward from the posterior cranial fossa to the nasopharyngeal carotid space.
  • Transmits hypoglossal nerve.
 
Hypoglossal canal.
Hypoglossal canal.
 

Clinical

  • Can be damage when doing C1 to C0 transarticular screw.
  • The C0 condylar screw is placed just under the hypoglossal canal.
    • There is rougly 5mm of bone thickness from the inferior surface of the C0/C1 condylar joint and the hypoglossal canal.