| Costocervical trunk | |
|---|---|
 Neck. Right side. | |
| Details | |
| Source | Subclavian artery |
| Branches | Deep cervical artery and superior intercostal artery |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | truncus costocervicalis |
| TA98 | A12.2.08.059 |
| TA2 | 4607 |
| FMA | 10636 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
Thecostocervical trunk arises from the superior and posterior part of the second part ofsubclavian artery, behind thescalenus anterior on the right side, and medial to that muscle on the left side.
Passing backward, it splits into thedeep cervical artery and thesupreme intercostal artery (highest intercostal artery), which descends behind thepleura in front of the necks of the first and secondribs, andanastomoses with the firstaortic intercostal (3rd posterior intercostal artery).
As it crosses the neck of the first rib it lies medial to the anterior division of the firstthoracic nerve, and lateral to the first thoracic ganglion of thesympathetic trunk.
In the first intercostal space, it gives off a branch which is distributed in a manner similar to the distribution of the aortic intercostals.
The branch for the second intercostal space usually joins with one from the highest aortic intercostal artery.
This branch is not constant, but is more commonly found on the right side; when absent, its place is supplied by an intercostal branch from the aorta.
Each intercostal gives off a posterior branch which goes to the posterior vertebral muscles, and sends a small spinal branch through the correspondingintervertebral foramen to themedulla spinalis and its membranes.
This article incorporates text in thepublic domain frompage 585 of the 20th edition ofGray's Anatomy(1918)
