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 The thyrocervical trunk is an artery of the neck. It is a branch of the subclavian artery. It arises from the first portion of this vessel, between the origin of the subclavian artery and the inner border of the scalenus anterior muscle. It is ...

, 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 The omohyoid muscle is a muscle that depresses the hyoid. It is located in the front of the neck, and consists of two bellies separated by an intermediate tendon. The omohyoid muscle is proximally attached to the scapula and distally attached to th ...

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 spine and laterally to the spine of the scapula. It moves the scapula and supports the ...

, beneath which it divides into a superficial and a deep branch. It crosses in front of the phrenic nerve and the scalene muscles, and in front of or between the divisions of the

brachial plexus The brachial plexus is a network () of nerves formed by the anterior rami of the lower four cervical nerves and first thoracic nerve ( C5, C6, C7, C8, and T1). This plexus extends from the spinal cord, through the cervicoaxillary canal in th ...

, and is covered by the

platysma The platysma muscle is a 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 neck, and a "bowstring" effect ...

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 access ...

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, where it divides into deep and superficial branches. * Superficial branch ** Ascending branch ** Descending branch (also known as

superficial cervical 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 b ...

, 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 b ...

). ''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 supplie ...

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 arises from the external carotid artery opposite the facial artery. Its path is below the posterior belly of digastric to the occipital region. This artery supplies blood to the back of the scalp and sternocleidomastoid muscles ...

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

which in turn links to the

subscapular artery The subscapular artery, the largest branch of the axillary artery, arises from the third part of the axillary artery at the lower border of the subscapularis muscle, which it follows to the inferior angle of the scapula, where it anastomoses w ...

. This anastomosis is a ring circulation around the scapula where it continues to the

via the

circumflex scapular artery The circumflex scapular artery (scapular circumflex artery, dorsalis scapulae artery) is a branch of the subscapular artery and part of the scapular anastomoses. It curves around the axillary border of the scapula, traveling through the anato ...

Deep branch

The dorsal scapular artery (or descending scapular artery) is a blood vessel which supplies the

levator scapulae The levator scapulae is a slender skeletal muscle situated at the back and side of the neck. As the Latin name suggests, its main function is to lift the scapula. Anatomy Attachments The muscle descends diagonally from its origin to its inserti ...

, 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

to the superior angle of the

scapula The scapula (plural 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 eithe ...

, 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 rhom ...

along the vertebral border of the scapula as far as the inferior angle. It anastomoses with the

suprascapular 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 crosse ...

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) (Entry "carotid"
in
subclavian arteries 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 supplie ...

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