Vertebral arteries are large tubes in the neck that carry blood from the heart to the brain and spine. There are two vertebral arteries – the left vertebral artery and the right vertebral artery – that branch off from the aorta in the clavicle area, run through the cervical vertebrae in the neck, and join together at the base of the skull. The combined section of the vertebral arteries is called the basilar artery. All together, these arteries create the vertebrobasilar system.