Anatomy Mnemonics  Lacrimal

Head and Neck Anatomy Mnemonics Mastoid bone (muscle insertion): Log Suddenly Struck my
Mastoid
Skull mnemonics
 Longissimus capitis
Cranial bones: Old Pygmies From Thailand Eat Skulls  Splenius capitis
 Sternomastoid
 Occipital
 Parietal Superior orbital fissure (structures passing through): Lazy
 Frontal French Tarts Lie Naked In Anticipation Of Sex
 Temporal
 Ethmoid  Lacrimal nerve
 Sphenoid  Frontal nerve
 Trochlear nerve
Cranial bones (alternative): STEP OF 6  Lateral nerve
The 6 skull bones are:  Nasociliary nerve
 Internal nerve
 Sphenoid  Abducens nerve
 Temporal  Ophthalmic veins
 Ethmoid  Sympathetic nerves
 Parietal
 Occipital Trigeminal nerve (where branches exit skull): Standing Room
 Frontal Only

Alternatively: "STEP Off my skull".  Superior orbital fissure is V1

 foramen Rotundum is V2
Cranial sutures: Learn Cranial Sutures  foramen Ovale is V3

 Lambdoid Orbit (bones of medial wall): My Little Eye Sits in the orbit
 Coronal
 Sagittal  Maxilla (frontal process)
 Lacrimal
Facial bones: Zoro Likes Punching My Very Nose In  Ethmoid
 Sphenoid (body)
 Zygomatic
 Lacrimal Foramina of the base of the skull: 3 foramina of the anterior
 Palatine part (teeth and palate)
 Maxillary
 Vomer  Incisive fossa
 Nasal  Greater palatine fossa
 Inferior concha  Lesser palatine fossa

Punching my nose reminds one of the facial bones. 3 SMALL foramina of the middle part (Small Sized Opening)

Facial bones (alternative): Virgil Can Not Make My Pet  Sternomastoid foramen
Zebra Laugh!  Foramen Spinosum
 Foramen ovale
 Vomer
 Conchae 3 LARGE foramina of the middle part (Laceration of artery
 Nasal and vein)
 Maxilla
 Mandible  Foramen lacerum
 Palatine  Carotid canal
 Zygomatic  Jugular foramen
3 foramina related to the occipital condyles Muscle mnemonics

 Anterior condylar foramen
 Posterior condylar foramen
 Foramen Magnum
3 fissures of the base of the skull (one related to the eye,
ear, mouth)
Pterygoid muscles (function): Look at how your jaw ends up
when saying first syllable of 'Lateral' or 'Medial'
 "La": your jaw is now open, so Lateral opens mouth.
 "Me": your jaw is still closed, so medial closes the
mandible.

 Inferior orbital fissure Eye rotation by oblique muscles: I Love S&M

 Pterygo-maxillary fissure
 Squamo-tympanic fissure  Inferior oblique: Lateral eye rotation.
 Superior oblique: Medial eye rotation.
Foramen ovale contents: OVALE
Extrinsic muscles of tongue [for pro soccer fans]: Paris St.
 Otic ganglion (just inferior) Germain's Hour
 V3 cranial nerve
 Accessory meningeal artery  Palatoglossus
 Lesser petrosal nerve  Styloglossus
 Emissary veins  Genioglossus
 Hyoglossus
Trigeminal nerve (where branches exit skull): Standing Room
Only PSG is a French soccer team (foreign), hence extrinsic
comes to mind.
 Superior orbital fissure is V1
 foramen Rotundum is V2 Cricoarytenoids: abductor vs. adductor When aliens
 foramen Ovale is V3 abduct you, they Probe you

Foramen spinosum (location on base of skull): Posterior cricoarytenoids abduct. Lateral therefore is adduct
by default.
 Foramen spinosum is adjacent to the spine of
sphenoid. Artery mnemonics

Scalp mnemonics Carotid sheath contents: I See 10 CC's in the IV

Scalp layers: SCALP: (From superficial to deep)  I See (I.C.) = Internal Carotid artery
 10 = CN 10 (Vagus nerve)
 Skin  CC = Common Carotid artery
 Connective tissue  IV = Internal Jugular Vein
 Aponeurosis
 Loose areolar tissue External carotid artery branches Some Angry Lady Figured
 Pericranium Out PMS

Scalp nerve supply: GLASS  Superior thyroid

 Ascending pharyngeal
 Greater occipital/ Greater auricular  Lingual
 Lesser occipital  Facial
 Auriculotemporal  Occipital
 Supratrochlear  Posterior auricular
 Supraorbital  Maxillary
 Superificial temporal
 External carotid artery branches: Some Aggressive Lovers  Common facial
Find Odd Positions More Stimulating  Pharyngeal
 Inferior petrosal sinus
 Superior thyroid
 Ascending pharyngeal External jugular vein: tributaries: PAST
 Lingual Posterior external jugular vein
 Facial Anterior jugular vein
 Occiptal Suprascapular vein
 Posterior auricular Transverse cervical vein
 Maxillary
 Superficial temporal Carotid sheath contents: I See 10 CC's in the IV
I See (I.C.) = Internal Carotid artery
Foramen ovale contents: OVALE 10 = CN 10 (Vagus nerve)
CC = Common Carotid artery
 Otic ganglion (just inferior) IV = Internal Jugular Vein
 V3 cranial nerve
 Accessory meningeal artery Branches of facial nerve: To Zanzibar By Motor Car
 Lesser petrosal nerve Temporal, Zygomatic, Buccal, Masseteric, Cervical
 Emissary veins
Bell's palsy: BELL'S Palsy
Cavernous sinus contents: O TOM CAT
 Blink reflex abnormal
 Earache
O TOM are lateral wall components, in order from superior to
 Lacrimation [deficient, excess]
inferior.
CA are the components within the sinus, from medial to  Loss of taste
lateral. CA ends at the level of T from O TOM.  Sudden onset
 Palsy of VII nerve muscles
 Occulomotor nerve (III)
All symptoms are unilateral.
 Trochlear nerve (IV)
 Ophthalmic nerve (V1)
 Maxillary nerve (V2) Scalp nerve supply: GLASS
 Carotid artery
 Abducent nerve (VI)  Greater occipital/ Greater auricular
 Lesser occipital
T: When written, connects to the T of OTOM  Auriculotemporal
 Supratrochlear
Superior thyroid artery branches: May I Softly Squeeze  Supraorbital
Charlie's Girl?
Innervation of the Face: Mandibular nerve: Mastication.
 Muscular Facial nerve: Facial expression.
 Infrahyoid
 Superior laryngeal Composition of cranial nerves (Motor, Sensory, or Both):
 Sternomastoid Some Say Marry Money, But My Brother Says Big Breasts
Matter More
 Cricothyroid
Sensory, sensory motor, motor, both, motor, both, sensory,
 Glandular
both, both, motor, motor in the order of cranial nerves
starting from the optic (cranial nerve I).
Veins mnemonics
Lacrimal nerve path: Lacrimal's story of 8 L's
Internal jugular vein: tributaries: Medical Schools Let Lacrimal nerve runs on Lateral wall of orbit above Lateral
Confident People In rectus, then Lets communicating branch join in, then supplies
From inferior to superior: Lacrimal gland, then Leaves it and supplies Lateral upper eye
Lid!
 Middle thyroid
 Superior thyroid
 Lingual
Trigeminal nerve relations in the skull (foramina): Standing  Breasts are bigger in women, so thyroid bigger in
Room Only women.
 Pregnant women have biggest breasts of all, so they
 Superior orbital fissure is V1 (1st branch) have the biggest thyroids.
 foramen Rotundum is V2
 foramen Ovale is V3 Thyroid: isthmus location Rings 2,3,4 make the isthmus
floor
Innervation of extra-ocular motor muscles: LR6 (SO4) 3
Lateral rectus--> VI  Isthmus overlies tracheal rings 2,3,4
LR6
abductens
Superior Oblique--> IV Voicebox: names of parts in sagittal cross-section There's 3
SO4 V's in your Voicebox
Trochlear
The remaining 4 eyeball
3  Vestibular fold
movers = III
 Ventricle
 Vocal fold
Extraocular muscles cranial nerve innervation: LR6SO4
rest 3
Note: Vestibular and Vocal cord also known as false and true
cords respectively.
 Lateral Rectus is 6th
 Superior Oblique is 4th
 rest are all 3rd cranial nerve

Ansa cervicalis nerves: GHost THought SOmeone STupid

SHot Irene

 Geniohyoid
 Thyrohyoid
 Superior Omohyoid
 Sternothyroid
 Sternohyoid
 Inferior omohyoid

Cervical plexus: arrangement of the important nerves:

GLAST
4 compass points: clockwise from north on the right side of
neck:

 Great auricular
 Lesser occipital
 Accessory nerve pops out between L and S
 Supraclavicular
 Transverse cervical

Regional anatomy mnemonics

Tonsils: The three types PPL (people) have tonsils

 Pharyngeal
 Palatine
 Lingual

Thyroids: relative sizes Thyroid looks like a bra