Quick Facts
Origin: Thyrocervical trunk.
Course: Ascends anterior to scalenus anterior, turns medially at the transverse process of the sixth cervical vertebra and descends on the longus cervicis muscle to the inferior margin of the thyroid gland.
Branches: Ascending cervical and inferior laryngeal arteries; muscular, pharyngeal, esophageal, tracheal, and glandular branches.
Supplied Structures: Scalenus anterior, longus cervicis, infrahyoid, and inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscles, spinal cord, cervical vertebral bodies, laryngopharynx, esophagus, trachea, thyroid and parathyroid glands.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The inferior thyroid artery originates as a terminal branch of the thyrocervical trunk, anterior to the scalenus anterior muscle.
Course
From its origin, the inferior thyroid artery travels superomedially along the medial border of the scalenus anterior muscle, posterior to the carotid sheath and anterior to the vertebral artery. On the left, the artery is crossed anteriorly by the thoracic duct. Just inferior to the transverse process of the sixth cervical vertebra, the artery descends on the longus cervicis muscle and usually travels anterior to the recurrent laryngeal nerve to reach the inferior margin of the thyroid gland.
Branches
The inferior thyroid artery gives off named arteries and many branches, which anastomose with other vessels to supply the structures of the neck. These include the ascending cervical and inferior laryngeal arteries, and the muscular, pharyngeal, esophageal, tracheal, and glandular branches.
Supplied Structures
As the inferior thyroid artery has many branches, it supplies numerous structures in the neck. This includes the scalenus anterior, longus cervicis, infrahyoid, and inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscles. Small branches supply the cervical vertebral bodies, spinal cords, and the meningeal layers surrounding it. The laryngopharynx, esophagus, and inferior part of the larynx are supplied by branches of the inferior thyroid artery. The posterior and inferior parts of the thyroid gland and parathyroid glands are partly supplied by glandular branches.
Learn more about this topic from other Elsevier products
Inferior Thyroid Artery
The inferior thyroid artery, each of which arises from the thyrocervical trunk of the subclavian artery, crosses beneath the carotid sheath and enters the lower or midpart of each thyroid lobe.
