What is the suboccipital nerve? Tracking this confusing historical nomenclature

S Jenkins; J Iwanaga; A S Dumont; M Loukas; R S Tubbs

doi:10.1016/j.morpho.2020.09.002

What is the suboccipital nerve? Tracking this confusing historical nomenclature

Morphologie. 2021 Feb;105(348):10-14. doi: 10.1016/j.morpho.2020.09.002. Epub 2020 Nov 7.

Authors

S Jenkins¹, J Iwanaga², A S Dumont³, M Loukas⁴, R S Tubbs⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anatomical Sciences, St. George's University, St. George's, Grenada.
² Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, 131, S. Robertson St. Suite 1300, 70112 New Orleans, LA, USA; Department of Neurology, Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA. Electronic address: iwanagajoeca@gmail.com.
³ Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, 131, S. Robertson St. Suite 1300, 70112 New Orleans, LA, USA.
⁴ Department of Anatomical Sciences, St. George's University, St. George's, Grenada; Department of Anatomy, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland.
⁵ Department of Anatomical Sciences, St. George's University, St. George's, Grenada; Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, 131, S. Robertson St. Suite 1300, 70112 New Orleans, LA, USA; Department of Structural & Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA; Department of Neurosurgery and Ochsner Neuroscience Institute, Ochsner Health System, New Orleans, LA, USA; Department of Neurology, Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.

PMID: 33172783
DOI: 10.1016/j.morpho.2020.09.002

Abstract

Since its initial description in the 2^nd century, the suboccipital nerve has maintained a number of varying terminologies. Many of these terms were created in the 18^th and 19^th centuries to describe the first set of cervical spinal nerves that exited the spinal cord between the cranium and the atlas. Though the many terminologies have been reduced to mainly the suboccipital nerve, there are still two prevalent definitions used for this nerve. Herein, we discuss the history of the first spinal nerve and its branches with special attention to varying terminologies over time. Recent literature has described the suboccipital nerve as the entire nerve or as simply the dorsal ramus of the C1 spinal nerve. This interchangeability may lead to confusion about the specific part of the nerve being discussed. Following a review of the literature, we recommend the term C1 spinal nerve be applied to the entire nerve, whereas, suboccipital nerve be reserved solely for the posterior branch of the C1 spinal nerve.

Keywords: C1 spinal nerve; Occipital neuralgia; Review; Suboccipital nerve; Terminology.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Spinal Nerves*