Bone: Nuchal lines
Occipital bone. Outer surface.
Side view of head, showing surface relations of bones. (Superior and median lines visible at bottom right.)
Gray's	subject #31 130

The nuchal lines are four curved lines on the external surface of the occipital bone:

• The upper, often faintly marked, is named the highest nuchal line, and to it the galea aponeurotica is attached.

• Below the highest nuchal line is the superior nuchal line. To it is attached the Sternocleidomastoid muscle, Occipitalis muscle, and Splenius capitis muscle, and the trapezius muscle.

• From the external occipital protuberance a ridge or crest, the median nuchal line, often faintly marked, descends to the foramen magnum, and affords attachment to the ligamentum nuchæ.

• Running from the middle of this line is the inferior nuchal line. Attached are the Obliquus capitis superior muscle, Rectus capitis posterior major muscle, and Rectus capitis posterior minor muscle.

[edit] Additional images

Posterior view of superior nuchal line (labeled in red) and muscles connecting to it.

Base of skull. Inferior surface.

[edit] External links

• Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator, at Elsevier 34257.000-1

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.