C1 Nerve Root

Authors

Affiliations

Nathaniel Yomogida, B.S., SPT

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.S. in Kinesiology

Chloë Kerstein, B.S., SPT

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.A. in Neuroscience

Anatoy

C1 lacks a dorsal root¹

Innervation

This root supplies muscles that provide multiple functions:

Support the head
Fix the neck
Assist in neck flexion
Assist in extension
Tilt the head to one side

Specific Muscle innervations

infrahyoid muscles.

C1 Nerve Root Skeletal Muscle Innervations
Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Innervation	Action
Splenius capitis	Nuchal lig.² C7-T4 SP² Nuchal lig. [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020] C7-T4 SP [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020]	Lateral third of nuchal line² Mastoid process² Lateral third of nuchal line [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020] Mastoid process [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020]	Spinal nn.² Posterior rami (lateral br.)² C1 - C6² Spinal nn. [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020] Posterior rami (lateral br.) [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020] C1 - C6 [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020]	Bilateral Head and neck extension [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020] Unilateral I/L sidebend [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020] I/L rotation [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020]
Splenius cervicis	T3-T7 SP² T3-T7 SP [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020]	C1-C4 SP² C1-C4 SP [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020]	Spinal nn.² Posterior rami (lateral br.)² C1 - C6² Spinal nn. [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020] Posterior rami (lateral br.) [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020] C1 - C6 [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020]	Bilateral Head and neck extension [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020] Unilateral I/L sidebend [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020] I/L rotation [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020]

Lesion

Due to the lack of motor root, C1 lesions are characterized purely by motor symptoms¹.

Clinically, C1 lesions usually result in minor motor difficulties.

“Because there is no dorsal root from C1, lesions of this root result in purely motor symptoms. This root supplies muscles that support the head, fix the neck, assist in neck flexion and extension, and tilt the head to one side. These, include the longus capitis, rectus capitis, obliquus capitis, longissimus capitis and cervicis, multifidi, intertransversarii, rotatores, semispinalis, and infrahyoid muscles. C1 lesions usually result in minor motor difficulties.”¹

Case Study

Greathouse DG, Joshi A. Radiculopathy of the eighth cervical nerve. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2010;40(12):811-817. doi:10.2519/jospt.2010.3187

References

Brazis PW, Masdeu JC, Biller J. Localization in Clinical Neurology. 8th ed. Wolters Kluwer Health; 2022.

Gilroy AM, MacPherson BR, Wikenheiser JC, Voll MM, Wesker K, Schünke M, eds. Atlas of Anatomy. 4th ed. Thieme; 2020.

Citation

For attribution, please cite this work as:

Yomogida N, Kerstein C. C1 Nerve Root. https://yomokerst.com/The Archive/Anatomy/Nerve Roots/c1_nerve_root.html

C1 Nerve Root Motor Innervation
Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Nerve	Action
Longus Capitis	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Prevertebral Muscles/longus_capitis.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Prevertebral Muscles/longus_capitis.html#insertion	?var:ref-longus-capitis.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Prevertebral Muscles/longus_capitis.html#action
Rectus Capitis Anterior	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Prevertebral Muscles/rectus_capitis_anterior.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Prevertebral Muscles/rectus_capitis_anterior.html#insertion	?var:ref-rectus-capitis-anterior.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Prevertebral Muscles/rectus_capitis_anterior.html#action
Rectus Capitis Lateralis	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Prevertebral Muscles/rectus_capitis_lateralis.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Prevertebral Muscles/rectus_capitis_lateralis.html#insertion	?var:ref-rectus-capitis-lateralis.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Prevertebral Muscles/rectus_capitis_lateralis.html#action
Obliquus Capitis Inferior	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Suboccipital Muscles/obliquus_capitis_inferior.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Suboccipital Muscles/obliquus_capitis_inferior.html#insertion	?var:ref-obliquus-capitis-inferior.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Suboccipital Muscles/obliquus_capitis_inferior.html#action
Obliquus Capitis Superior	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Suboccipital Muscles/obliquus_capitis_superior.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Suboccipital Muscles/obliquus_capitis_superior.html#insertion	?var:ref-obliquus-capitis-superior.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Suboccipital Muscles/obliquus_capitis_superior.html#action
Longissimus Capitis	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Erector Spinae/longissimus.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Erector Spinae/longissimus.html#insertion	?var:ref-longissimus-capitis.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Erector Spinae/longissimus.html#action
Longissimus Cervicis	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Erector Spinae/longissimus.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Erector Spinae/longissimus.html#insertion	?var:ref-longissimus-cervicis.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Erector Spinae/longissimus.html#action
Multifidi	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Transversospinalis Muscles/multifidus.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Transversospinalis Muscles/multifidus.html#insertion	?var:ref-multifidi.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Transversospinalis Muscles/multifidus.html#action
Anterior Intertransversarii cervices	?var:ref-anterior-intertransversarii-cervices.origin	?var:ref-anterior-intertransversarii-cervices.insertion	?var:ref-anterior-intertransversarii-cervices.nerve	?var:ref-anterior-intertransversarii-cervices.action
Posterior Intertransversarii Cervices	?var:ref-posterior-intertransversarii-cervices.origin	?var:ref-posterior-intertransversarii-cervices.insertion	?var:ref-posterior-intertransversarii-cervices.nerve	?var:ref-posterior-intertransversarii-cervices.action
Medial Intertransversarii Lumbora	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Deep Segmental Back Muscles/medial_intertransversarii_lumbora.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Deep Segmental Back Muscles/medial_intertransversarii_lumbora.html#insertion	?var:ref-medial-intertransversarii-lumbora.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Deep Segmental Back Muscles/medial_intertransversarii_lumbora.html#action
Rotatores Breves	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Transversospinalis Muscles/rotatores.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Transversospinalis Muscles/rotatores.html#insertion	?var:ref-rotatores-breves.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Transversospinalis Muscles/rotatores.html#action
Rotatores Longi	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Transversospinalis Muscles/rotatores.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Transversospinalis Muscles/rotatores.html#insertion	?var:ref-rotatores-longi.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Transversospinalis Muscles/rotatores.html#action
Semispinalis Capitis	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Transversospinalis Muscles/semispinalis.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Transversospinalis Muscles/semispinalis.html#insertion	?var:ref-semispinalis-capitis.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Transversospinalis Muscles/semispinalis.html#action
Semispinalis Cervicis	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Transversospinalis Muscles/semispinalis.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Transversospinalis Muscles/semispinalis.html#insertion	?var:ref-semispinalis-cervicis.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Muscles of the back/Transversospinalis Muscles/semispinalis.html#action