The thyrocervical trunk is an artery of the neck. It is a branch of 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 ...

. 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 The scalene muscles are a group of three pairs of muscles in the lateral neck, namely the anterior scalene, middle scalene, and posterior scalene. They are innervated by the third to the eight cervical spinal nerves (C3-C8). The anterior and ...

. It is located distally to the

vertebral artery The vertebral arteries are major arteries An artery (plural arteries) () is a blood vessel in humans and most animals that takes blood away from the heart to one or more parts of the body (tissues, lungs, brain etc.). Most arteries carry o ...

and proximally to the

costocervical trunk The costocervical trunk arises from the upper and back part of the second part of subclavian artery, behind the scalenus anterior on the right side, and medial to that muscle on the left side. Passing backward, it splits into the deep cervica ...

. It gives off a number of branches to the neck. It helps to supply

blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the c ...

to the muscles of the neck.

Structure

The thyrocervical trunk is a branch of the

. It arises from the first portion of this vessel, between the origin of the subclavian artery and the inner border of the

. It is located distally to the

and proximally to the

. It is short and thick.

Branches

The thyrocervical trunk divides soon after its origin into a number of branches. *

Inferior thyroid artery The inferior thyroid artery is an artery in the neck. It arises from the thyrocervical trunk and passes upward, in front of the vertebral artery and longus colli muscle. It then turns medially behind the carotid sheath and its contents, and als ...

. *

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 ...

. *

Transverse 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 ...

. This is present in about 1/3 of cases. In the rest, the dorsal scapular and superficial cervical arteries arise separately.Essentials of human anatomy Head and neck A.K. Dutta 5th Edition p94 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 ...

and

transverse 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 ...

both head laterally and cross in front of (anterior to) the

and the

phrenic nerve The phrenic nerve is a mixed motor/sensory nerve which 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 ...

. The inferior thyroid artery runs superiorly from the thyrocervical trunk to the inferior portion of the thyroid gland. There is significant variation in the origin of these vessels. These branches explain the alternative name for this blood vessel: the "truncus thyrobicervicoscapularis".

Function

The thyrocervical trunk helps to supply

to the muscles of the neck.

Additional images

File:Gray522.png, The internal mammary artery and its branches.

References

External links

* * {{Authority control sv:A. Truncus thyrocervicalis Arteries of the head and neck