Where does the common carotid artery bifurcate into internal and external carotids?

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The split of the common carotid artery into its internal and external branches happens in the neck at approximately the level of the upper border of the thyroid cartilage, around the fourth cervical vertebra. This landmark marks where the single vessel divides, with the internal carotid continuing to the brain (entering the skull) and the external carotid giving off branches to the neck and face. Locations like the base of the skull or the arch of the aorta are much higher or lower in the body, and the level of the mandible is not the correct point for this bifurcation, so those options don’t describe where the division occurs.