Suboccipital triangle
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| Suboccipital triangle | |
|---|---|
| Deep muscles of the back. Triangle is labeled in turquoise. | |
 | |
| Posterior atlantoöccipital membrane and atlantoaxial ligament. (Triangle is not labeled, but region is visible.) | |
| Gray's | subject #116 402 |
| Dorlands/Elsevier | t_17/12821203 |
The suboccipital triangle is a region of the neck bounded by the following three muscles:
- Rectus capitis posterior major - above and medially
- Obliquus capitis superior - above and laterally
- Obliquus capitis inferior - below and laterally
It is covered by a layer of dense fibro-fatty tissue, situated beneath the Semispinalis capitis.
The floor is formed by the posterior occipito-atlantal membrane, and the posterior arch of the atlas.
In the deep groove on the upper surface of the posterior arch of the atlas are the vertebral artery and the first cervical or suboccipital nerve.
See also
Additional images
 The vertebral vein. |
External links
- SUNY Labs 01:11-0101 - "Muscles of the Back - Suboccipital Triangle"
- Description at myqth.com
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.
General anatomy of neck (Throat • Pharynx • Larynx) | |
|---|---|
| Cartilages | Cricoid • Thyroid (Laryngeal prominence) • Epiglottis • Arytenoid • Cuneiform • Corniculate |
| Ligaments | extrinsic ligaments: Thyrohyoid membrane (Lateral thyrohyoid ligament, Median thyrohyoid ligament) • Hyoepiglottic ligament • Cricotracheal ligament intrinsic ligaments: Cricothyroid ligament |
| Folds and related structures | folds: (Glossoepiglottic, Aryepiglottic, Vocal, Vestibular) Vocal ligament • Ventricle of the larynx • Infraglottic cavity • Vestibule of larynx • Rima glottidis • Glottis |
| Triangles of the neck | Anterior of the neck (Muscular, Carotid, Submandibular, Submental) Suboccipital |
| Fascia | Deep cervical fascia (Pretrachial fascia, Prevertebral fascia, Investing layer) • Carotid sheath • Buccopharyngeal fascia |
| Other | Retropharyngeal space |
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
