Corpus: Posterior atlantooccipital ligament

The posterior atlantooccipital ligament is a ligamentous reinforcement in the dorsal section of the joint capsule of the atlantooccipital joint. It connects the occipital bone with the posterior tuberosity of the atlas. It "replaces" the ligamentum flavum, which runs between the more caudal vertebral arches.

After exiting the transverse foramina of the cervical vertebrae, the vertebral artery passes over the atlas arch to the posterior atlantooccipital ligament, pierces it and then passes through the foramen magnum into the interior of the skull.