The transverse cervical artery (transverse artery of neck or transversa colli artery) is an artery in the neck and a branch of the thyrocervical trunk, running at a higher level than the

suprascapular artery The suprascapular artery is a branch of the thyrocervical trunk on the neck. Structure At first, it passes downward and laterally across the scalenus anterior and phrenic nerve, being covered by the sternocleidomastoid muscle; it then crosses t ...

Structure

It passes transversely below the inferior belly of the omohyoid muscle to the anterior margin of the

trapezius The trapezius is a large paired trapezoid-shaped surface muscle that extends longitudinally from the occipital bone to the lower thoracic vertebrae of the human spine, spine and laterally to the spine of the scapula. It moves the scapula and ...

, beneath which it divides into a superficial and a deep branch. It crosses in front of the

phrenic nerve The phrenic nerve is a mixed nerve that originates from the C3–C5 spinal nerves in the neck. The nerve is important for breathing because it provides exclusive motor control of the diaphragm, the primary muscle of respiration. In humans, t ...

and the scalene muscles, and in front of or between the divisions of the

brachial plexus The brachial plexus is a network of nerves (nerve plexus) formed by the anterior rami of the lower four Spinal nerve#Cervical nerves, cervical nerves and first Spinal nerve#Thoracic nerves, thoracic nerve (cervical spinal nerve 5, C5, Cervical spi ...

, and is covered by the

platysma The platysma muscle or platysma is a :wikt:superficial, superficial muscle of the human neck that overlaps the sternocleidomastoid. It covers the anterior surface of the neck superficially. When it contracts, it produces a slight wrinkling of the ...

and

sternocleidomastoid The sternocleidomastoid muscle is one of the largest and most superficial cervical muscles. The primary actions of the muscle are rotation of the head to the opposite side and flexion of the neck. The sternocleidomastoid is innervated by the acces ...

muscles, and crossed by the omohyoid and

. The transverse cervical artery originates from the thyrocervical trunk, it passes through the posterior triangle of the neck to the anterior border of the

levator scapulae muscle The levator scapulae is a slender skeletal muscle Skeletal muscle (commonly referred to as muscle) is one of the three types of vertebrate muscle tissue, the others being cardiac muscle and smooth muscle. They are part of the somatic nervous s ...

, where it divides into deep and superficial branches. * Superficial branch ** Ascending branch ** Descending branch (also known as superficial cervical artery, which supplies the middle and lateral portions of the

) * Deep branch (also called the

dorsal scapular artery The transverse cervical artery (transverse artery of neck or transversa colli artery) is an artery in the neck and a branch of the thyrocervical trunk, running at a higher level than the suprascapular artery. Structure It passes transversely ...

). ''Descending branch'' in older literature. Most often, however, this artery branches directly from the

subclavian artery In human anatomy, the subclavian arteries are paired major arteries of the upper thorax, below the clavicle. They receive blood from the aortic arch. The left subclavian artery supplies blood to the left arm and the right subclavian artery suppli ...

Function

Superficial branch

Upon entering the

muscle, the superficial branch divides again into an ascending and descending branch. The ascending branch distributes branches to

, and to the neighboring muscles and lymph glands in the neck, and anastomoses with the superficial branch of the descending branch of the

occipital artery 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 ...

. The descending branch which is also called as superficial cervical artery, anastomoses with the deep and

which in turn links to the subscapular artery. This anastomosis is a ring circulation around the scapula where it continues to the

via the circumflex scapular artery.

Deep branch

The dorsal scapular artery (or descending scapular artery) is a blood vessel which supplies the levator scapulae, rhomboids, and

. It most frequently arises from the

(the second or third part), but a quarter of the time it arises from the transverse cervical artery. In that case, the artery is also known as the deep branch of the transverse cervical artery, and the junction of those two is called cervicodorsal trunk. It passes beneath the levator scapulae to the superior angle of the

scapula The scapula (: scapulae or scapulas), also known as the shoulder blade, is the bone that connects the humerus (upper arm bone) with the clavicle (collar bone). Like their connected bones, the scapulae are paired, with each scapula on either side ...

, and then descends under the

rhomboid muscles The rhomboid muscles (), often simply called the rhomboids, are rhombus-shaped muscles associated with the scapula. There are two rhomboid muscles on each side of the upper back: * Rhomboid major muscle * Rhomboid minor muscle The large rhomb ...

along the vertebral border of the scapula as far as the inferior angle. It anastomoses with the suprascapular and circumflex scapular arteries.

Additional images

File:Gray507.png, Superficial dissection of the right side of the neck, showing the

carotid In anatomy, the left and right common carotid arteries (carotids) () are arteries that supply the head and neck with oxygenated blood; they divide in the neck to form the external and internal carotid arteries. Structure The common carotid a ...

and subclavian arteries File:Dorsal scapular artery.png, The

, sometimes a branch from the transverse cervical artery

References

External links

* – "Muscles of the Back: Spinal Accessory Nerve (CN XI) and Transverse Cervical Vessels" * – "Branches of the first part of the subclavian artery." {{DEFAULTSORT:Transverse Cervical Artery Arteries of the head and neck