[Surgical anatomy of the anastomotic branch between the occipital and vertebral arteries].

Using anatomical material of mature persons and, for the first time, that of newborns, the discovered well developed anastomotic branch between the occipital and vertebral arteries can be considered as an anatomical variant of the vascular system, important for the collateral blood circulation. Similar branch in mature persons can also serve as an intermediate link for transmitting irritation at the neck osteochondrosis along the periarterial plexuses from the vertebral artery to the occipital one, that results in reflectory pains in the posterior area of the neck.