Median Section through head sagittal section of head with deep dissection - Erler Zimmer
This 3D model combines a midsagittal slice of the head with preservation of brain and cranial cavity anatomy, along with a distinctive deep dissection of the pharyngeal region achieved by removing the basicranial bone and the anterior portions of the atlas and axis vertebrae. The opposite side, left undissected, has been digitally omitted from the model.
Within the endocranial cavity, the dura mater preservation allows for the retention of the superior sagittal sinus throughout much of its anterior-to-posterior course, reaching the confluence of sinuses, which is visible in cross-section. Both the tentorium cerebelli and the falx cerebelli remain intact. The cerebrum is well-preserved, with the cingulate gyrus and sulcus retained, and the removal of the septum pellucidum inferior to the corpus callosum provides a view into the lateral ventricle, with the interventricular foramen at the inferior margin of the septum still visible. Structures of the diencephalon and midbrain (epithalamus, colliculi, mamillary body, infundibulum) are all clearly discernible in cross-section, as are the cerebellar hemisphere and the fourth ventricle. Small views of the anterior cerebral and posterior inferior cerebellar arteries are also visible (color-coded for clarity).
Outside the endocranial cavity, partial removal of the occipital, temporal, and sphenoid bones (alongside the atlas and axis vertebrae) has been coupled with the excision of the pharyngeal constrictors, carotid sheath, and oral mucosa to provide a unique perspective on several crucial neurovascular and glandular structures. In the zone where tissue has been removed, there is partial exposure of the right common carotid artery within the dissected petrous portion of the temporal bone, as well as partial exposure of the left vertebral artery due to disruption of the occipital bone and dural covering.
The medial and lateral pterygoid muscles are visible near the posterior margin of the mostly intact nasal cavity. Between the exposed dura and medulla and the pterygoids (and situated deep to the sectioned and reflected stylohyoid muscle), the dissected carotid sheath has exposed the internal jugular vein, the vagus nerve, the internal carotid artery (with the ascending pharyngeal artery from the external carotid artery overriding it), and the sympathetic trunk (comprising the superior cervical ganglion and the internal carotid nerve). Immediately anterior to this bundle of neurovascular structures is the external carotid artery, giving rise to the ascending pharyngeal artery, which serves as a common trunk for the lingual and facial arteries before continuing superiorly beyond the plane of dissection. The submandibular gland is visible resting on the mylohyoid muscle near the lingual artery (which passes deep relative to the gland), with the duct extending towards the genu of the mandible and the origin of the reflected genioglossus muscle. At the lower border of the specimen, along the reflected edge of the dissected tongue, the hypoglossal nerve can be seen deep to the lingual artery.
