There are three cerebellar arteries on each side. The superior cerebellar artery leaves near the top of the basilar artery and winds around the midbrain to the upper surface of the cerebellum; the anterior inferior cerebellar artery leaves the basilar at the junction of the medulla and pons for the front of the cerebellum’s underside; the posterior inferior cerebellar artery, the largest branch of the vertebral artery, winds around the medulla to the back of the underside. [1][2][3]
Lit: all three cerebellar arteries, left and right: the superior cerebellar with its lateral, medial and superior vermian branches, the anterior inferior cerebellar, and the posterior inferior cerebellar with the branches the model draws. Every other artery shows in a darker colour. [4][1][2][3]
The 3D brain needs JavaScript. The text below still says where the cerebellar arteries are and what they do.
Slice
Opens with the blood-supply layer on (about 0.8 MB), seen from the front and right: the three pairs leave the basilar and vertebrals and wind back onto the cerebellum, low at the back of the view; turn the brain to look from behind or below. Tap a name under “The three arteries” to light one pair alone. Drag to turn, pinch or scroll to zoom, tap any part to name it; .
The superior cerebellar artery arises near the end of the basilar artery and passes sideways around the brainstem, immediately below the oculomotor nerve, curving around the cerebral peduncle to the upper surface of the cerebellum. [1]
The anterior inferior cerebellar artery arises from the basilar on each side at the junction of the medulla and pons and passes back to the front part of the cerebellum’s undersurface. [2]
The posterior inferior cerebellar artery arises from the vertebral artery, winds back around the upper medulla between the roots of the vagus and accessory nerves, and crosses the inferior cerebellar peduncle to the cerebellum’s underside. [3]
What it does
On the upper surface of the cerebellum the superior cerebellar artery divides into branches in the pia mater that join those of the two inferior cerebellar arteries. [1]
The superior supplies the upper and deep parts of the cerebellum; the anterior inferior the front of its underside and the flocculus; the posterior inferior the lower cerebellum, the inferior vermis and the tonsils. [1][2][3]
On the way they also feed the brainstem they wind around: the superior parts of the midbrain, the anterior inferior parts of the middle cerebellar peduncle and pons, the posterior inferior the medulla and the choroid plexus of the fourth ventricle. [1][2][3]
Other names
Often shortened to SCA, AICA and PICA (anterior inferior and posterior inferior cerebellar arteries). [1][2][3]
Size
On this model the three cerebellar arteries on both sides fit in a box about 86 mm front to back, 107 mm side to side and 54 mm top to bottom (the box they fit in, not their volume). [4]
Facts describe anatomy and normal function only. The 3D model is the adult male BodyParts3D brain (credits and licence); real brains vary in size and shape, so its measurements describe one model, not anyone’s brain.