The occipital artery is a branch of the external carotid artery that provides arterial supply to the back of the scalp, sternocleidomastoid muscles, and deep muscles of the back and neck.

Structure

Origin

The occipital artery arises from (the posterior aspect of) the external carotid artery (some 2 cm distal to the origin of the external carotid artery).

Course and relations

At its origin, the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII) crosses artery superficially as the nerve passes posteroanteriorly. The artery passes superoposteriorly deep to the posterior belly of the digastricus muscle. It crosses the internal carotid artery and vein, the vagus nerve (CN X), accessory nerve (CN XI), and hypoglossal nerve (CN XII). It next ascends to the interval between the transverse process of the atlas and the mastoid process of the temporal bone, and passes horizontally backward, grooving the surface of the latter bone, being covered by the sternocleidomastoideus, splenius capitis, longissimus capitis, and digastricus, and resting upon the rectus capitis lateralis, the obliquus superior, and semispinalis capitis. It then changes its course and runs vertically upward, pierces the fascia connecting the cranial attachment of the trapezius with the sternocleidomastoideus, and ascends in a tortuous course in the superficial fascia of the scalp, where it divides into numerous branches, which reach as high as the vertex of the skull and anastomose with the posterior auricular and superficial temporal arteries.

Distribution

Its terminal portion is accompanied by the greater occipital nerve.

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