Suboccipital Region and Vertebral Canal - Laboratory Identifications

Suboccipital Region

1. Occipital artery - crossing superior nuchal line
2. Greater occipital nerve - crossing superior nuchal line medial to occipital artery
3. Rectus capitis posterior minor - inferior nuchal line to arch of atlas
4. Rectus capitis posterior major - inferior nuchal line to spine of axis
5. Obliquus capitis superior - inferior nuchal line to transverse process of atlas
6. Obliquus capitis inferior - transverse process of atlas to spine of axis
7. Vertebral artery - passing through transverse foramen and crossing groove of atlas and entering posterior atlantooccipital membrane
8. Suboccipital nerve - within the boundaries of the triangle and providing motor innervation
9. Greater occipital nerve - crossing inferior border of obliquus capitis inferior

Vertebral Canal

1. Supraspinous ligament - continuous across the posterior surface of the spines (ligamentum nuchae in cervical region)
2. Interspinous ligament - between each spine
3. Ligamentum flavum - between the lamina
4. Lamina - between spine and pedicle
5. Epidural fat
6. Posterior internal vertebral venous plexus - between ligamentum flavum and thecal sac
7. Anterior internal vertebral venous plexus
8. External vertebral venous plexus
9. Dura mater of spinal cord
10. Denticulate ligament - extension of pia mater from cord to lateral wall of thecal sac
11. Ventral and posterior roots of cord
12. Dorsal root ganglion (sensory ganglion) - within intervertebral foramen
13. Posterior longitudinal ligament - making up part of anterior border of spinal canal