- Descending branch of occipital artery
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Artery: Descending branch of occipital artery Superficial dissection of the right side of the neck, showing the carotid and subclavian arteries. Latin ramus descendens arteriae occipitalis Gray's subject #144 556 Source occipital artery The descending branch of occipital artery, the largest branch of the occipital, descends on the back of the neck, and divides into a superficial and deep portion.
- The superficial portion runs beneath the Splenius, giving off branches which pierce that muscle to supply the Trapezius and anastomose with the ascending branch of the transverse cervical.
- The deep portion runs down between the Semispinales capitis and colli, and anastomoses with the vertebral and with the a. profunda cervicalis, a branch of the costocervical trunk.
The anastomosis between these vessels assists in establishing the collateral circulation after ligature of the common carotid or subclavian artery.
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.
List of arteries of head and neck (TA A12.2.05–08, GA 6.549) CC cervical branches (ascending palatine, tonsillar, submental, glandular) · facial branches (inferior labial, superior labial / nasal septum, lateral nasal, angular)1st part / mandibular2nd part / pterygoid3rd part / pterygopalatineorbital group:anterior ethmoidal (anterior septal, anterior lateral nasal, anterior meningeal) · posterior ethmoidal · lacrimal (lateral palpebral) · medial palpebral · terminal (supraorbital, supratrochlear, dorsal nasal)
ocular group: central retinal · ciliary (short posterior, long posterior, anterior) · hypophysial (superior, inferior)ACA (anterior communicating, medial striate) · MCA (anterolateral central, Orbitofrontal artery, Prefrontal artery, Superior terminal branch, Inferior terminal branch, Anterior temporal branch) · posterior communicating · anterior choroidalSC Categories:- Cardiovascular system stubs
- Arteries of the head and neck
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