innervation
Last reviewed 01/2018
The nerves supplying the oesophagus are dependent on position; they are all autonomic:
- cervical oesophagus:
- recurrent laryngeal nerve branches
- cervical sympathetic trunks from the middle cervical ganglion and running with the inferior thyroid arteries
- thoracic oesophagus:
- vagus: both vagal trunks and oesophageal plexus
- sympathetic trunks
- greater splanchnic nerves
- inferior oesophagus:
- vagal trunks
- oesophageal plexuses
- thoracic sympathetic trunks
- greater splanchnic nerve; occasionally, the lesser splanchnic nerve
These fibres communicate with plexuses within the wall of the oesophagus:
- myenteric plexus, between the outer muscular layers of the wall
- Meissner's plexus, submucosal
The nuclei for nerves to the oesophagus are located in:
- nucleus ambiguus: for vagal fibres to upper skeletal muscle
- dorsal motor nucleus: for vagal fibres to inferior smooth muscle
- inferior salivary nucleus: vagal fibres to glands
- inferior vagal ganglion: pain fibres