suboccipital

Suboccipital refers to the region beneath the occipital bone at the base of the skull, surrounding the upper cervical spine. The term is used in anatomy to describe the muscles, nerves, and vessels in this area, and it is often described in relation to the first cervical vertebra (atlas) and the occipital bone.

The suboccipital muscles consist of four small muscles: rectus capitis posterior major, rectus capitis posterior minor, obliquus capitis superior, and obliquus capitis inferior. Collectively they act to extend, rotate, and stabilize the head. A commonly cited landmark in this region is the suboccipital triangle, bounded medially by the rectus capitis posterior major, laterally by the obliquus capitis superior and obliquus capitis inferior, with the floor formed by the posterior atlanto-occipital membrane and the posterior arch of C1, and the roof by the semispinalis capitis. The vertebral artery and the suboccipital nerve traverse the triangle, typically deep to the muscles.

The suboccipital nerve is the dorsal ramus of the first cervical nerve (C1) and provides motor innervation to the suboccipital muscles; it lacks a cutaneous component. The greater occipital nerve, the dorsal ramus of C2, supplies most of the scalp skin and emerges inferior to the suboccipital triangle.

Clinical relevance includes suboccipital muscle strain and cervicogenic headaches. Suboccipital nerve blocks may be used diagnostically or therapeutically to manage certain headaches or muscular pain in this region.