Sternocleidomastoid branches of occipital artery
Rami sternocleidomastoidei arteriae occipitalis
- Related terms: Sternocleidomastoid branches; Sternocleidomastoid branches (Occipital artery)
Definition
The Sternocleidomastoid Branch (Sternocleidomastoid Artery)generally arises from the occipital close to its commencement, but sometimes springs directly from the external carotid.
It passes downward and backward over the hypoglossal nerve, and enters the substance of the muscle, in company with the accessory nerve
References
This definition incorporates text from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy (20th U.S. edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, published in 1918 – from http://www.bartleby.com/107/).
