Fig. 1.

Two steps of our approach to the longus colli muscle. a — First, the injector finds the pulse of the common carotid artery under sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) at the level of the lower half of the thyroid cartilage. b — Second, moderately pressing the SCM with the underlying carotid sheath, the injector dives under the visceral compartment and consequently displaces the latter with the index and middle fingers in the medial direction.