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Information about Maxillary Artery

Artery: Maxillary artery
Plan of branches of maxillary artery. ("Internal maxillary" is horizonal at left center.)
Plan of branches of maxillary artery.
Latinarteria maxillaris
subject #144 559
Sourceexternal carotid artery
Branches1st part: anterior tympanic - deep auricular - middle meningeal - superior tympanic - accessory meningeal - inferior alveolar - lingual
2nd part: masseteric - buccinator - posterior superior alveolar
3rd part: infraorbital - descending palatine - artery of the pterygoid canal - sphenopalatine
Veinmaxillary veins
Dorlands/Elsevier a_61/12154985
The maxillary artery (or internal maxillary artery in older texts) is an artery that supplies deep structures of the face.

Structure



The maxillary artery, the larger of the two terminal branches of the external carotid artery, arises behind the neck of the mandible, and is at first imbedded in the substance of the parotid gland; it passes forward between the ramus of the mandible and the sphenomandibular ligament, and then runs, either superficial or deep to the lateral pterygoid muscle, to the pterygopalatine fossa.

It supplies the deep structures of the face, and may be divided into mandibular, pterygoid, and pterygopalatine portions.

First portion

The first or mandibular portion passes horizontally forward, between the ramus of the mandible and the sphenomandibular ligament, where it lies parallel to and a little below the auriculotemporal nerve; it crosses the inferior alveolar nerve, and runs along the lower border of the lateral pterygoid muscle.

Branches include:

Second portion

The second or pterygoid portion runs obliquely forward and upward under cover of the ramus of the mandible and insertion of the temporalis, on the superficial (very frequently on the deep) surface of the lateral pterygoid muscle; it then passes between the two heads of origin of this muscle and enters the fossa.

Branches include:

Third portion

The third or pterygopalatine portion lies in the pterygopalatine fossa in relation with the pterygopalatine ganglion.

Branches include:

Nomenclature

  • Formerly, the term "external maxillary artery" was used to describe what is now known as the facial artery (per Terminologia anatomica.) Currently, the term "external maxillary artery" is less commonly used, and the terms "internal maxillary artery" and "maxillary artery" are equivalent.

Additional images


Mandible. Outer surface. Side view.


External links

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

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Arteries of head and neck
CC, EC: Anteriorsuperior thyroid (superior laryngeal) - lingual (sublingual)
facial: cervical branches (ascending palatine - tonsillar - submental - glandular) - facial branches (inferior labial - superior labial - lateral nasal - angular)
EC: Posterior and ascendingoccipital - posterior auricular (stylomastoid) - ascending pharyngeal (meningeal branches)
EC: Terminal, superficial temporaltransverse facial - middle temporal (zygomaticorbital) - anterior auricular - frontal - parietal
EC: Terminal, maxillary1st part: anterior tympanic - deep auricular - middle meningeal (superior tympanic) - accessory meningeal - inferior alveolar (mylohyoid)
2nd part: deep temporal - pterygoid branches - masseteric - buccal
3rd part: posterior superior alveolar - infraorbital (anterior superior alveolar) - descending palatine - artery of the pterygoid canal - sphenopalatine
CC, IC: portions #1 and 2cervical portion - petrous portion (Vidian, caroticotympanic)
IC: cavernous portion/ophthalmicorbital group: lacrimal - supraorbital - posterior ethmoidal - anterior ethmoidal - medial palpebral - supratrochlear - dorsal nasal
ocular group: central retinal - ciliary (short posterior, long posterior, anterior) - superior hypophysial - inferior hypophyseal
IC: cerebral portionACA - anterior communicating - MCA (anterolateral central) - posterior communicating - anterior choroidal - circle of Willis
SUBCLAVIAN: vertebralmeningeal branches - posterior spinal - anterior spinal - PICA - basilar (pontine - labyrinthine - AICA - SCA - PCA)
SUBCLAVIAN: thyrocervicalinferior thyroid (inferior laryngeal, tracheal, esophageal, ascending cervical) - suprascapular - transverse cervical - dorsal scapular
Latin}}} 
Official status
Official language of: Vatican City
Used for official purposes, but not spoken in everyday speech
Regulated by: Opus Fundatum Latinitas
Roman Catholic Church
Language codes
ISO 639-1: la
ISO 639-2: lat
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In human anatomy, the external carotid artery is a major artery of the head and neck. It arises from the common carotid artery when it bifurcates into an internal and external branch.
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The anterior tympanic artery (tympanic artery) passes upward behind the temporomandibular articulation, enters the tympanic cavity through the petrotympanic fissure, and ramifies upon the tympanic membrane, forming a vascular circle around the membrane with the stylomastoid branch
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The deep auricular artery often arises in common with the anterior tympanic artery.

It ascends in the substance of the parotid gland, behind the temporomandibular articulation, pierces the cartilaginous or bony wall of the external acoustic meatus, and supplies its
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The middle meningeal artery (Latin arteria meningea media) is typically the first branch of the first part (retromandibular part) of the maxillary artery; one of the two terminal branches of the external carotid artery.
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The superior tympanic artery, a branch of the middle meningeal on entering the cranium, runs in the canal for the Tensor tympani, and supplies this muscle and the lining membrane of the canal.
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The accessory meningeal artery (also accessory branch of middle meningeal artery, pterygomeningeal artery, small meningeal or parvidural branch) is a branch of the maxillary artery, sometimes derived from the middle meningeal artery.
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The inferior alveolar artery (inferior dental artery) is an artery of the face.

Course

It descends with the inferior alveolar nerve to the mandibular foramen on the medial surface of the ramus of the mandible.
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The lingual artery arises from the external carotid between the superior thyroid and facial artery.

It first runs obliquely upward and medialward to the greater cornu of the hyoid bone.
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The masseteric artery is small and passes lateralward through the mandibular notch to the deep surface of the Masseter.

It supplies the muscle, and anastomoses with the masseteric branches of the external maxillary and with the transverse facial artery.
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The buccal artery (buccinator artery) is small and runs obliquely forward, between the Pterygoideus internus and the insertion of the Temporalis, to the outer surface of the Buccinator, to which it is distributed, anastomosing with branches of the external maxillary and
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The posterior superior alveolar artery (posterior dental artery) is given off from the internal maxillary, frequently in conjunction with the infraorbital just as the trunk of the vessel is passing into the pterygopalatine fossa.
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The infraorbital artery is an artery in the head that runs in the maxilla, emerging just under the orbit of the eye.

Course

The infraorbital artery appears, from its direction, to be the continuation of the trunk of the maxillary artery, but often arises in conjunction
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The descending palatine artery is an artery of the head.

Course

It descends through the pterygopalatine canal with the anterior palatine branch of the sphenopalatine ganglion, and, emerging from the greater palatine foramen, runs forward in a groove on the medial side of
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The artery of the pterygoid canal (Vidian artery) is a small, inconstant branch which passes into the pterygoid canal and anastomoses with a branch of the internal maxillary artery.
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The sphenopalatine artery (nasopalatine artery) is an artery of the head.

Course

It passes through the sphenopalatine foramen into the cavity of the nose, at the back part of the superior meatus.
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The maxillary veins (internal maxillary vein in older sources) consist of a short trunk which accompanies the first part of the internal maxillary artery.

It is formed by a confluence of the veins of the pterygoid plexus, and passes backward between the
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Elsevier, the world's largest publisher of medical and scientific literature, forms part of the Reed Elsevier group. Based in Amsterdam, the company has substantial operations in the UK, USA and elsewhere.
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In human anatomy, the external carotid artery is a major artery of the head and neck. It arises from the common carotid artery when it bifurcates into an internal and external branch.
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mandible (from Latin mandibūla, "jawbone") or inferior maxillary bone is, together with the maxilla, the largest and strongest bone of the face . It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place.
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For the toad wart, see parotoid gland.

The parotid gland is the largest of the salivary glands. It is found wrapped around the mandibular ramus, and it secretes saliva through Stensen's duct into the oral cavity, to facilitate mastication and swallowing.
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Ramus can refer to:
  • Petrus Ramus
  • A portion of a bone (from Latin ramus, "branch"), as in the Ramus mandibulæ or Superior pubic ramus
  • A nerve ramus such as the Dorsal ramus of spinal nerve

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mandible (from Latin mandibūla, "jawbone") or inferior maxillary bone is, together with the maxilla, the largest and strongest bone of the face . It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place.
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The sphenomandibular ligament (internal lateral ligament) is a flat, thin band which is attached above to the spina angularis of the sphenoid bone, and, becoming broader as it descends, is fixed to the lingula of the mandibular foramen.
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The lateral pterygoid (or external pterygoid) is a muscle of mastication with two heads.

Origin and insertion

The upper/superior head originates on the infratemporal surface and infratemporal crest of the greater wing of the sphenoid bone, and the lower/inferior
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The pterygopalatine fossa is a fossa in the skull.

Boundaries

It has the following boundaries:
  • anterior: maxilla (back surface - palatine process of maxilla)
  • posterior: sphenoid bone (pterygoid process)
  • medial

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Mandibular may refer to:
  • Mandible, the human jaw bone
  • Mandibular canal
  • Mandibular nerve

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Pterygoid (from the Greek for 'winglike') can refer to:
  • a plate near the Vomer bone
  • a muscle such as Lateral pterygoid muscle or Medial pterygoid muscle
  • a branch of the Mandibular nerve

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Pterygopalatine is used to refer to structures of the pterygoid processes of the sphenoid and the palatine bone. Specifically, it can refer to:
  • Pterygopalatine fossa
  • Pterygopalatine canal
  • Pterygopalatine ganglion (also known as the Sphenopalatine ganglion)

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The auriculotemporal nerve is a branch of the mandibular nerve that runs with the superficial temporal artery and vein, and provides sensory innervation to various regions on the side of the head.
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