Arteries of the head: Vertebral artery (Latin)

The a. vertebralis can be seen in its totality with four parts: pars prevertebralis (V1), pars cervicalis (V2), pars atlantica (V3) and pars intracranialis (V4). The most important branches originate in the pars intracranialis: rami meningei (that supply the meninges of the posterior fossa), a. inferior posterior cerebelli (a.k.a. PICA). The a. vertebralis terminates by merging with the contralateral a. vertebralis to form the a. basilaris. Some branches of the a. basilaris should also be recognized: the aa. labyrinthi and rr. pontis can be noted, as well as the a. inferior anterior cerebelli (a.k.a. AICA), the a. superior cerebelli and the aa. posteriores cerebri, which are its terminal branches.