Sternocleidomastoid branches of occipital artery

Sternocleidomastoid branches of occipital artery
The arteries of the face and scalp.
Details
Latin	Rami sternocleidomastoidei arteriae occipitalis
Source	Occipital artery
Identifiers
Dorlands /Elsevier	r_02/12692073
TA
TH	{{#property:P1694}}
TE	{{#property:P1693}}
FMA	{{#property:P1402}}
Anatomical terminology [[[d:|edit on Wikidata]]]

The two sternocleidomastoid branches of the occipital artery (sternocleidomastoid artery) arise directly from the occipital artery and are the initial two branches of this artery. Uncommonly, the lower sternocleidomastoid branch can branch directly from the external carotid.

The lower sternocleidomastoid branch passes inferio-external to the hypoglossal nerve before descending into the substance of the muscle to which its name is derived. The upper sternocleidomastoid branch diverts from the main trunk at the deep border of the proximal end of the posterior digastric muscle belly, coursing with the spinal accessory nerve prior to arborising into the sternocleidomastoid.

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)