atlantooccipital joint /-oksip″itəl/ [Gk, atlas, to bear; L, ob, against, caput, head] , one of a pair of condyloid joints formed by the articulation of the atlas of the vertebral column with the occipital bone of the skull. It includes two articular capsules, two membranes, and two lateral ligaments. The atlantooccipital joint permits nodding and lateral movements of the head.
