Trachea

15-20 c-shaped cartilage rings (apart from cricoid)
begins at C6
bifurcates T4-T7 (T5 on average) at the transverse thoracic plane
ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelial cells, similar to bronchi

Posterior relations

Anterior relations

  • thymus
  • aorta
  • aortic arch
  • SVC
  • brachiocephalic veins

Lateral relations

  • vagus nerve, phrenic nerve
  • pleura
  • posterior part of aortic arch + L subclavian art
  • Thyroid

#anatomy-head-neck #anatomy-airway

please appreciate the suspiciously empty page for Tracheostomy