Suboccipital nerve
Encyclopedia
The first cervical nerve, the suboccipital nerve exits the spinal cord
between the skull
and the first cervical vertebra, the atlas
.
It supplies muscle
s 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.
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain . The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system...
between the skull
Human skull
The human skull is a bony structure, skeleton, that is in the human head and which supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.In humans, the adult skull is normally made up of 22 bones...
and the first cervical vertebra, the atlas
Atlas (anatomy)
In anatomy, the atlas is the most superior cervical vertebra of the spine.It is named for the Atlas of Greek mythology, because it supports the globe of the head....
.
It supplies muscle
Muscle
Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...
s around the suboccipital triangle
Suboccipital triangle
The suboccipital triangle is a region of the neck bounded by the following three muscles of the suboccipital group of muscles:* Rectus capitis posterior major - above and medially* Obliquus capitis superior - above and laterally...
including the rectus capitis posterior major, obliquus capitis superior, and obliquus capitis inferior. The suboccipital nerve also innervates rectus capitis posterior minor.