Thoracic Inlet and Outlet Anatomy

A surgeon must access the thoracic inlet to repair a vascular anomaly. If approaching from a posterior perspective, which anatomical structure would the surgeon need to consider as the primary obstacle?

During a diagnostic procedure, a contrast agent is injected into a major vessel to assess blood flow in the upper thorax. If the contrast agent fails to appear in the inferior vena cava, even with proper injection technique, which of the following could explain this?

A patient presents with unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis following a surgical procedure near the thoracic inlet. Which of the following is the MOST likely nerve injured during the procedure?

A patient undergoing anterior cervical spine surgery experiences difficulty breathing postoperatively due to compromised support in elevating the upper ribcage during breathing. Which muscle group, while NOT INSIDE the thoracic inlet, might have been affected during surgery, leading to this respiratory compromise?

An athlete presents with symptoms suggestive of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). Advanced imaging reveals compression in the thoracic inlet region, specifically affecting neural and vascular structures. Which specific structures are MOST likely compressed in this scenario?

A trauma patient is evaluated for potential chest injuries. Imaging reveals damage near the thoracic outlet. Which of the following anatomical structures is LEAST likely to be directly affected given its location relative to the outlet's boundaries?

A patient experiences increasing shortness of breath and is diagnosed with diaphragmatic paralysis. Given the diaphragm's crucial role in closing the thoracic outlet, secondary complications could arise due to impaired function of what?

During a scoliosis correction surgery, the surgical team must be mindful of the structures forming the inferior boundary of the thoracic cage. Damage to which of the following ribs could MOST directly compromise the structural integrity of the thoracic outlet?

Medical students are studying the thoracic inlet and outlet to understand how these regions connect different anatomical spaces. What are the primary anatomical regions linked by the thoracic inlet and outlet respectively, in terms of structure passage?

A patient presents with superior vena cava syndrome, and imaging reveals a mass compressing major structures near the thoracic inlet. Which of the following structures, due to not passing through the thoracic inlet, would be LEAST likely to be directly compressed by a mass in this region?