Makindo Medical Notes.com

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One-third of cerebral blood supply is from the vertebrals

Vertebral artery

• 1st branches of the subclavian arteries on either side then enter the transverse process at (C6) and ascends through the foramina in the transverse processes of the upper six cervical vertebrae to C1 where they enter the foramen magnum in front of the medulla. Inside the skull, the two vertebral arteries join to form the basilar artery.

Branches

• Posterior inferior cerebellar artery
  • Largest branch of the vertebral and supplies lateral medulla and lateral cerebellum).
  • Loops around medulla to the inferior surface of the cerebellum.
  • Occlusion causes Wallenburg's syndrome/Lateral medullary
• Anterior spinal artery (ventral medulla)
  • Forms at the point where the arteries fuse
• Posterior spinal artery (dorsal medulla)
• Basilar artery forms at the lower border of the pons by fusion of the two vertebral arteries
• Anterior inferior cerebellar artery supplies lateral pons and anteroinferior cerebellum)
• Superior cerebellar artery - supplies lateral pons and the superior surface of the cerebellum)
• 12 Pontine arteries penetrate to supply medial pons - are a number of small vessels that come off at right angles from either side of the basilar artery and supply the pons and adjacent parts of the brain
• Internal auditory artery - a long slender branch, arises from near the middle of the artery; it accompanies the acoustic nerve through the internal acoustic meatus, and is distributed to the internal ear 
• Posterior cerebral artery (PCA) (embryologically originate from Internal carotid) passes laterally and is joined by the posterior communicating and then sweeps back around the cerebral peduncle to reach the tentorial surface of the occipital lobe.  
• Postero-medial ganglionic branches arise at the commencement of the posterior cerebral artery and with branches from the post comm artery pierces the posterior perforated substance, and supply the medial surfaces of the thalami and the walls of the third ventricle.
• Posterior choroidal branches run forward beneath the splenium of the corpus callosum, and supply the tela choroidea of the third ventricle and the choroid plexus
• Postero-lateral ganglionic branches are small arteries which arise from the posterior cerebral artery after it has turned around the cerebral peduncle; they supply a considerable portion of the thalamus
• Anterior temporal supplies uncus and the anterior part of the fusiform gyrus
• Posterior temporal supplies inferior temporal gyri, calcarine, to the cuneus and gyrus lingualis and the back part of the convex surface of the occipital lobe
• Parietooccipital