Common carotid artery

The common carotid arteries differ in length and in their mode of origin:

• The right common carotid artery begins at the bifurcation of the innominate artery behind the sternoclavicular joint and is confined to the neck.
• The left common carotid artery springs from the highest part of the arch of the aorta to the left of, and on a plane posterior to the innominate artery, and therefore consists of a thoracic and a cervical portion. The thoracic portion of the left common carotid artery ascends from the arch of the aorta through the superior mediastinum to the level of the left sternoclavicular joint, where it is continuous with the cervical portion.  

The common carotid arteriessplit into the external and internal carotid arteries at the upper border of the thyroid cartilage, at around the level of the fourth cervical vertebra.