Which cervical vertebrae innervate the diaphragm?

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Multiple Choice

Which cervical vertebrae innervate the diaphragm?

Explanation:
The essential idea is that the diaphragm is innervated by the phrenic nerve, which arises from the cervical nerve roots C3 through C5. Among these, C4 provides the dominant motor input, which is why you’ll often hear the mnemonic “C3-C5 keep the diaphragm alive.” That’s why the correct cervical levels are C3-C5. The other ranges don’t supply the full phrenic innervation: one omits C4 or omits C3 or C5, so they wouldn’t reliably innervate the diaphragm.

The essential idea is that the diaphragm is innervated by the phrenic nerve, which arises from the cervical nerve roots C3 through C5. Among these, C4 provides the dominant motor input, which is why you’ll often hear the mnemonic “C3-C5 keep the diaphragm alive.” That’s why the correct cervical levels are C3-C5. The other ranges don’t supply the full phrenic innervation: one omits C4 or omits C3 or C5, so they wouldn’t reliably innervate the diaphragm.

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