The buccopharyngeal fascia is a fascia in the

head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...

and

neck The neck is the part of the body on many vertebrates that connects the head with the torso. The neck supports the weight of the head and protects the nerves that carry sensory and motor information from the brain down to the rest of the body. In ...

Structure

The buccopharyngeal runs parallel to the medial aspect of the

carotid sheath The carotid sheath is an anatomical term for the fibrous connective tissue that surrounds the vascular compartment of the neck. It is part of the deep cervical fascia of the neck, below the superficial cervical fascia meaning the subcutaneous adip ...

. It is a thin lamina given off from the pretracheal fascia. It is attached to the prevertebral fascia by

loose connective tissue Loose connective tissue, sometimes called areolar tissue, is a cellular connective tissue with thin and relatively sparse collagen fibers. Its ground substance occupies more volume than the fibers do. It has a viscous to gel-like consisten ...

, with the

retropharyngeal space The retropharyngeal space (abbreviated as "RPS") is a potential space and deep compartment of the head and neck situated posterior to the pharynx. The RPS is bounded anteriorly by the buccopharyngeal fascia, posteriorly by the alar fascia, and late ...

found between them. It may also be attached to the

alar fascia The alar fascia is a layer of fascia, sometimes described as part of the prevertebral fascia, and sometimes as in front of it. Anatomy Cranially, it reaches the skull, and caudally, it reaches the second thoracic vertebra. In 2015, the anatomy ...

posteriorly at C3 and C6 levels. The

thyroid The thyroid, or thyroid gland, is an endocrine gland in vertebrates. In humans it is in the neck and consists of two connected lobes. The lower two thirds of the lobes are connected by a thin band of tissue called the thyroid isthmus. The thy ...

gland wraps around the

trachea The trachea, also known as the windpipe, is a Cartilage, cartilaginous tube that connects the larynx to the bronchi of the lungs, allowing the passage of air, and so is present in almost all air-breathing animals with lungs. The trachea extends ...

and

oesophagus The esophagus (American English) or oesophagus (British English; both ), non-technically known also as the food pipe or gullet, is an organ in vertebrates through which food passes, aided by peristaltic contractions, from the pharynx to the ...

anterior to the buccopharyngeal fascia, so that the lateral parts of the thyroid gland border it.

Function

The buccopharyngeal fascia envelops the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscles. It closely invests the

constrictor muscles of the pharynx The pharyngeal muscles are a group of muscles that form the pharynx, which is posterior to the oral cavity, determining the shape of its lumen, and affecting its sound properties as the primary resonating cavity. The pharyngeal muscles (involunta ...

. It is continued forward from the

constrictor pharyngis superior The superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle is a muscle in the pharynx. It is the highest located muscle of the three pharyngeal constrictors. The muscle is a quadrilateral muscle, thinner and paler than the inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle ...

onto the

buccinator The buccinator () is a thin quadrilateral muscle occupying the interval between the maxilla and the mandible at the side of the face. It forms the anterior part of the cheek or the lateral wall of the oral cavity.Illustrated Anatomy of the Head ...

Additional images

Image:Slide2kaka.JPG, Floor of mouth. Deep dissection.Anterior view.

References

External links

* - "Pharynx: The Pharyngeal Constrictor Muscles" * Fascial spaces of the head and neck {{musculoskeletal-stub