Definition

Noun: - Eleventh cranial nerve: The "nervus accessorius" is the anatomical name for the eleventh cranial nerve, a motor nerve that controls specific muscles in the neck and back. - Spinal accessory nerve: This nerve is uniquely formed by the union of two distinct sets of nerve roots originating from the brain (cranial) and the spinal cord (spinal).

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Damage to the nervus accessorius can result in weakness of the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles.
  • The surgeon carefully identified the nervus accessorius during the neck dissection to avoid injury.

Advanced Usage

• Clinical context: The term is primarily used in formal medical, anatomical, and surgical descriptions.
  • The patient's symptoms were consistent with a lesion of the nervus accessorius.

Variants and Related Words

• Accessory nerve: The common English name for the nervus accessorius.
  • The accessory nerve is tested by asking the patient to shrug their shoulders.
• Cranial nerve XI: Its numerical designation within the set of twelve cranial nerves.

Synonyms

• Spinal accessory nerve
• Eleventh cranial nerve
• Cranial nerve XI

Related Phrases

• Accessory nerve palsy: A condition involving paralysis or weakness due to damage to this nerve.
  • Accessory nerve palsy often leads to a drooping shoulder.

Noun

1. arises from two sets of roots (cranial and spinal) that unite to form the nerve