THE DISSECTION OF THE BACK 



75 



Dissection. The dissection of the sub-occipital space is 

 difficult, because the connective tissue in which its contents lie 

 is dense. The first structures to secure are the posterior ramus 

 of the sub-occipital nerve and its branches. The branch to the 

 semispinalis capitis was retained, with a small piece of the 



Occipitalis " 



Sterno-mastoid ? 



Meningeal branch ]| 

 of occipital artery "7 



Occipital artery r 



\ 



Splenius capitis 



Vertebral artery 

 iigastricus, post, belly -4 



sterno mastoideus (cut) -- 

 Descending branch of 

 occipital artery 



M. levator scapulae 



M. splenius cervicis 

 M. longiss;mus capitis 



~ Occipital artery 



Greater occipital nerve 



M. trapezius 



M. semispinalis capitis 



(O.T. complexus) 



M. obliquus superior 

 Greater occipital nerve 



M. rectus cap. post, mino: 



M. rectus cap. post, major 

 Edge of occ.-atlantal mem 

 Post. br. of sub-occipital ne 

 Post, arch of atlas 



Spine of epistropheus 

 M. obliquus inferior 



M. semispinalis cervicis 



M. trapezius 

 \ M. semispinalis capitis 

 (O.T. complexus) 



M. splenius capitis 



FIG. 20. Dissection of the Sub-Occipital Region. Note that in this specimen 

 the occipital artery was superficial to the longissimus capitis muscle. 



muscle attached to it, when the semispinalis was reflected 

 (P- 67) ; trace it into the space until it joins the posterior ramus, 

 then follow the other branches from the posterior ramus to their 

 terminations. One branch passes upwards to the superior 

 oblique ; one passes upwards and medially to supply the rectus 

 capitis posterior major and the rectus capitis posterior minor ; 

 each of the two twigs into which it divides enters the superficial 

 surface of the muscle it supplies, and the twig to the rectus 



