Upper limb
Common carotid artery
Arteria carotis communis
- Origin
- Right from brachiocephalic trunk; left directly from aortic arch
- Insertion
- Ascends in the carotid sheath to bifurcate at the upper border of thyroid cartilage (C4) into internal and external carotid arteries
- Function
- Primary arterial conduit supplying oxygenated blood to the head, neck, face, and cerebral hemispheres
- Innervation
- Carotid sinus nerve (CN IX) and vagal fibers (CN X) supplying baroreceptors and carotid body chemoreceptors
- Movement & chain
- Protected within the carotid sheath alongside internal jugular vein and vagus nerve
- Palpation
- Prominently palpable anterior to sternocleidomastoid at the level of the thyroid cartilage (carotid pulse)
- Clinical
- Carotid atherosclerosis causing ischemic stroke/TIA; carotid sinus hypersensitivity syndrome causing vagal syncope
- Segmental innervation
- C3–C5 level
- In clinical practice
- Primary pulse check site during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR); auscultation for bruits prior to carotid endarterectomy
- Region in the model
- Upper limb