Posterior cervical region and suboccipital muscles dissected from behind

Intervertebral joints; vertebral arches and ligaments

Stanford holds the copyright to the David L. Bassett anatomical images and has assigned Creative Commons license Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International to all of the images.
For additional information regarding use and permissions, please contact Dr. Drew Bourn at dbourn@stanford.edu.

Image #216-7

Posterior cervical region and suboccipital muscles dissected from behind

Intervertebral joints; vertebral arches and ligaments

1. Superior oblique capitis muscle (cut across)
2. Major posterior rectus capitis muscle (cut across)
3. Branch of vertebral artery
4. Posterior atlanto-occipItal membrane
5. Upper pointer: Posterior arch of atlas Lower pointer: Inferior oblique capitis muscle (cut across)
6. Posterior cervical plexus (deep portion)
7. Greater occipital nerve
8. Inferior oblique capitis muscle (cut across)
9. Ligamentum flavum
10. Dorsal branch cervical nerve V
11. Intervertebral joint capsule (C. IV - V)
12. Middle scalene muscle
13. Rotator cervicis muscle
14. Posterior scalene muscle
15. Minor posterior rectus capitis muscle (cut across)
16. Major posterior rectus capitis muscle (cut across)
17. Interspinales cervices muscles
18. Lamina (arch of vertebra) C. IV
19. Trapezius muscle
20. Spinous process vertebra C. VII (vertebra prominens)