Suboccipital nerve

The dorsal branch of the first cervical nerve, sending branches to the greater and the lesser posterior rectus muscles of the head, to the superior and inferior oblique muscles of the head, to the lateral rectus muscle of the head, and to the semispinal muscle of the head.

Nerve: Suboccipital nerve
Median sagittal section through the occipital bone and first three cervical vertebrae. (Suboccipital nerve labeled at center right.)
Latin	nervus suboccipitalis
Gray's	subject #210 925

The first spinal nerve, the suboccipital nerve exits the spinal cord between the skull and the first cervical vertebra, the atlas.

It supplies muscles around the suboccipital triangle including the rectus capitis posterior major, obliquus capitis superior, and obliquus capitis inferior. The suboccipital nerve also innervates rectus capitis posterior minor.

See also

• Vertebral artery

Additional images

Upper part of medulla spinalis and hind- and mid-brains; posterior aspect, exposed in situ.

External links

• Suboccipital+nerve at eMedicine Dictionary

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v • d • e Nerves: spinal nerves Cervical (8) C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8 anterior (Cervical plexus, Brachial plexus) - posterior (Posterior branches of cervical nerves, Suboccipital - C1, Greater occipital - C2, Third occipital - C3) Thoracic (12) T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, T8, T9, T10, T11, T12 anterior (Intercostal, Intercostobrachial - T2, Thoraco-abdominal nerves - T7-T11, Subcostal - T12) - posterior (Posterior branches of thoracic nerves) Lumbar (5) L1, L2, L3, L4, L5 anterior (Lumbar plexus, Lumbosacral trunk) · posterior (Posterior branches of the lumbar nerves, Superior cluneal L1-L3) Sacral (5) S1, S2, S3, S4, S5 anterior (Sacral plexus) · posterior (Posterior branches of sacral nerves, Medial cluneal nerves) Coccygeal (1) anterior (Coccygeal plexus) · posterior (Posterior branch of coccygeal nerve)

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