Ascending cervical artery

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The ascending cervical artery is 1 of the 4 branches of the thyrocervical trunk (off the first part of the subclavian artery).

It is a small artery that ascends medial to the phrenic nerve on the prevertebral fascia. It contributes many small spinal branches into the intervertebral foramina of the neck as well as giving off multiple small muscular branches to the lateral muscles of the upper neck.