• Be sure to know the borders of this region; anterior border of SCM, midline of the neck, and inferior border of the mandible.  The region can be further subdivided into four smaller triangles; the muscular, carotid, submandibular, and submental triangles.
• Note the presence of the hyoid bone, thyroid and cricoid cartilages, and cartilagenous rings of the trachea.
• The hyoid bone is unique in that it articulates with no other bone in the body it is, however, anchored by muscles and ligaments to the region above the thyroid cartilage.
• Differences will arise between different sides of the body, specifically in lymphatic drainage and nerve pathways.  When these situations are noted, be sure to understand the differences on either side of the body.

Muscular Triangle:
    1.  Expose infrahyoid muscles (superior belly of omohyoid, sternohyoid, sternothyroid, and thyrohyoid).  Be sure to maintain the branches from ansa cervicalis theat innervate the muscles.
    2.  Expose the anterior jugular vein and follow it back to where it joins the external  jugular vein.
    3.  Reflect the sternothyroid muscle to expose the thyroid gland.  Locate the the inferior and superior thyroid artery, the recurrent laryngeal nerve, the thoracic duct, and external laryngeal nerve.

Carotid Triangle:
    1.  Dissect the internal jugular vein from the carotid sheath.  Locate the inferior root of the ansa cervicalis (from the cervical plexus) which crosses the IJV traveling anteriorly (may need to be dissected from the cartoid sheath).  Also note the common facial vein entering the EJV.
    2.  Follow the hypoglossal nerve posteriorly from the submandibular salivary gland.  Identify from CN XII a small branch of C1 which innervates thyrohyoid and geniohyoid.
    3.  Locate the superior root of the ansa cervicalis which also emerges from CN XII as asmall branch before the hypoglossal nerve loops around the occipital artery, located anterior to the IJV.  With both the superior and inferior root of ansa cervicalis identified locate the smaller branches which innervate the infrahyoid muscles.
    4.  Expose the common carotid artery; this vessel will branch into the internal and external carotid arteries.
       A.  From the external carotid artery, the SALFOPS Max branches will arise (Superior Thyroid Artery, Ascending Pharyngeal Artery, Lingual Artery, Facial Artery, Occipital Artery, Posterior Auricular Artery, Superficial Temporal Artery, and Maxillary Artery).  Some of these vessels will not be seen for this dissection, but understand that they do exist.
       B.  The internal carotid artery continues, without branches, as the major feed to the brain.
    5.  Expose the vagus nerve between the zxternal carotid and IJV.  Locate the following branches: Superior Laryngeal Nerve, Internal Laryngeal Nerve, and External Laryngeal Nerve.
    6.  Locate the sympathetic trunk with its superior, middle, and inferior cervial ganglion behind the carotid sheath.

Submandibular Triangle:
    1.  Locate the anterior and posterior bellies of the digastric muscle.
    2.  At the angle of the mandible locate the facial artery and vein.
    3.  Expose the submandibular salivary gland.
    4.  Expose mylohyoid muscle and locate the mylohyoid nerve traveling anteriorly from the anterior edge of the submandibular gland from beneath the mandible.
    5.  Locate the hyoglossus muscle.