Dorsal margin of neck - Dog - General anatomy - Left lateral view - vet-Anatomy
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Dorsal margin of neck

Margo colli dorsalis

Definition

Juliette Garnodier

The dorsal margin of neck, or nape, corresponds to the upper line of the neck extending from the occipital region of the skull to the withers.

Its structure is formed by the spinous processes of the cervical vertebrae, the nuchal ligament (particularly robust in large herbivores), and the muscles covering it (e.g., splenius, rhomboideus, trapezius, semispinalis). This region plays an essential role in supporting the head and in the extension and lateral flexion movements of the neck.

References

  • Sharir A, Milgram J, Shahar R. Structural and functional anatomy of the neck musculature of the dog (Canis familiaris). J Anat. 2006 Mar;208(3):331-51. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2006.00533.x. PMID: 16533316; PMCID: PMC2100244.

  • Hartmann K, Düver P, Kaiser S, Fischer C, Forterre F. CT-Scan Based Evaluation of Dorsal-to-Ventral Ratios of Paraspinal Musculature in Chondrodystrophic and Non-chondrodystrophic Dogs. Front Vet Sci. 2020 Nov 4;7:577394. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.577394. PMID: 33330697; PMCID: PMC7672003.

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