Questions and Answers
What is the first branch of the subclavian artery?
Which vertebra does the vertebral artery enter through the foramen transversarium?
What does the vertebral artery supply after entering the foramen magnum?
What artery arises under the medial border of the scalenus?
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What branches does the vertebral artery give in the neck region?
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Study Notes
Vertebral Artery
- First branch of the subclavian artery originating from its superoposterior aspect.
- Medial to the artery lies the sympathetic plexus and cervicothoracic ganglia, which contribute branches that form a plexus around the artery.
- Ascends upward and medially, entering the foramen transversarium of the sixth cervical vertebra.
- Continues to ascend until reaching the atlas vertebra, where it exits the foramen and grooves the posterior arch of the atlas.
- Penetrates the foramen magnum to supply the brain.
- Provides spinal branches to the spinal cord and muscular branches to surrounding muscles in the neck.
Thyrocervical Trunk
- A short trunk that arises from the anterior and superior aspect of the subclavian artery, situated beneath the medial border of the scalenus muscle.
- Divided into key branches:
- Inferior thyroid artery: Ascends alongside the medial border of the scalenus anterior muscle.
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Description
Explore the anatomy of the vertebral artery, the first branch of the subclavian artery. This quiz covers its origins, the associated sympathetic plexus, and its pathway through the cervical vertebrae. Test your understanding of this crucial blood vessel's trajectory and anatomical relationships.
