Chassaignac tubercle is the name given to the anterior tubercle of the transverse process of the sixth cervical vertebra, separating the carotid artery

Carotid artery

Carotid artery can refer to:* Common carotid artery* External carotid artery* Internal carotid artery...

 from the vertebral artery

Vertebral artery

The vertebral arteries are major arteries of the neck. They branch from the subclavian arteries and merge to form the single midline basilar artery in a complex called the vertebrobasilar system, which supplies blood to the posterior part of the circle of Willis and thus significant portions of the...

 and against which the carotid artery

Carotid artery

Carotid artery can refer to:* Common carotid artery* External carotid artery* Internal carotid artery...

 may be compressed by the finger.

It is named for Charles Marie Édouard Chassaignac

Charles Marie Edouard Chassaignac

Charles Marie Edouard Chassaignac was a French physician. He was born in Nantes and in 1835 became prosecutor and professor at the university and physician at the central bureau of the hospitals of Paris...

, French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 doctor.
Applied aspect-in case of supraventricular tachycardia,the carotid artery can be massaged against this tubercle to relieve from the symptoms.

The Chassaignac tubercle is used as a landmark by anesthesiologist

Anesthesiologist

An anesthesiologist or anaesthetist is a physician trained in anesthesia and peri-operative medicine....

s for local anesthesia

Local anesthesia

Local anesthesia is any technique to induce the absence of sensation in part of the body, generally for the aim of inducing local analgesia, that is, local insensitivity to pain, although other local senses may be affected as well. It allows patients to undergo surgical and dental procedures with...

 of the brachial plexus

Brachial plexus

The brachial plexus is a network of nerve fibers, running from the spine, formed by the ventral rami of the lower four cervical and first thoracic nerve roots...

 and the cervical plexus

Cervical plexus

The cervical plexus is a plexus of the ventral rami of the first four cervical spinal nerves which are located from C1 to C4 cervical segment in the neck. They are located laterally to the transverse processes between prevertebral muscles from the medial side and vertebral from lateral side...

using the supraclavicular approach.