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Information about Middle Meningeal Artery

Artery:
Plan of branches of internal maxillary artery. (middle meningeal visible top left)
Relations of the brain and middle meningeal artery to the surface of the skull.
Latinarteria meningea media
subject #144 560
Suppliesmeninges
Sourceinternal maxillary artery
Branchesanterior: posterior: superior tympanic artery
Veinmiddle meningeal vein
Dorlands/Elsevier a_61/12155038
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. After branching off the maxillary artery, it runs through the foramen spinosum to supply the dura mater (one of the meninges) and the calvaria. The middle meningeal artery is the largest of the three (paired) arteries which supply the meninges, the others being the anterior meningeal artery and the posterior meningeal artery.

In approximately half of subjects it branches into an accessory meningeal artery.

The middle meningeal artery runs beneath the pterion. It is vulnerable to injury at this point, where the skull is thin. Rupture of the artery may give rise to an epidural hematoma.

Branches

Before entering cranium

It ascends between the sphenomandibular ligament and the Pterygoideus externus, and between the two roots of the auriculotemporal nerve to the foramen spinosum of the sphenoid bone, through which it enters the cranium; it then runs forward in a groove on the great wing of the sphenoid bone, and divides into two branches, anterior and posterior.

The anterior branch, the larger, crosses the great wing of the sphenoid, reaches the groove, or canal, in the sphenoidal angle of the parietal bone, and then divides into branches which spread out between the dura mater and internal surface of the cranium, some passing upward as far as the vertex, and others backward to the occipital region.

The posterior branch curves backward on the squamous part of the temporal bone, and, reaching the parietal bone some distance in front of its mastoid angle, divides into branches which supply the posterior part of the dura mater and cranium.

The branches of the middle meningeal artery are distributed partly to the dura mater, but chiefly to the bones; they anastomose with the arteries of the opposite side, and with the anterior and posterior meningeal arteries. The very smallest distal branches anastomose through the skull with small arterioles from the scalp.

Very rarely the ophthalmic artery may arise as a branch of the middle meningeal artery.

Branches upon entering cranium

On entering the cranium, the middle meningeal artery gives off the following branches:

Clinical relevance

An injured middle meningeal artery is the cause of an epidural hematoma. A head injury (e.g. from a road traffic accident or sports injury) is required to rupture the artery. Emergency treatment requires decompression of the haematoma, usually by craniotomy. Subdural bleeding is usually venous in nature, rather than arterial.

The middle meningeal artery runs in a groove on the inside of the cranium. This can clearly be seen on a lateral skull X-ray, where it may be mistaken for a fracture of the skull. On a dry specimen the groove is easy to see. This means that the artery is easy to study, even in specimens centuries old, and several classifications of the branches have been proposed, e.g. Adachi's classification of 1928.

Additional images


Left parietal bone. Inner surface.

Left temporal bone. Inner surface.

Base of the skull. Upper surface.

Distribution of the maxillary and mandibular nerves, and the submaxillary ganglion.

The otic ganglion and its branches.

The course and connections of the facial nerve in the temporal bone.


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
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
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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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The meninges (singular meninx) is the system of membranes which envelop the central nervous system. The meninges consist of three layers: the dura mater, the arachnoid mater, and the pia mater.
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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
..... Click the link for more information.
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 pterygoid plexus is of considerable size, and is situated between the Temporalis and Pterygoideus externus, and partly between the two pterygoid muscles.

Tributaries received

It receives tributaries corresponding with the branches of the maxillary artery.
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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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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
..... Click the link for more information.
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
..... Click the link for more information.
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 foramen spinosum is one of several foramina located in the base of the skull, on the sphenoid bone, situated lateral to the foramen ovale, in a posterior angle.

Contents

It permits the passage of certain arteries, veins and/or other structures:

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The dura mater (from the Latin "hard mother"), or pachymeninx, is the tough and inflexible outermost of the three layers of the meninges surrounding the brain and spinal cord. (The other two meningeal layers are the pia mater and the arachnoid mater.
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The meninges (singular meninx) is the system of membranes which envelop the central nervous system. The meninges consist of three layers: the dura mater, the arachnoid mater, and the pia mater.
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Calvaria can refer to any of the following:
  • Latin name of Calvary, the site of Jesus's crucifixion
  • Kalwaria or Kalvarija, towns named after Calvary
  • A portion of the skull lacking the mandible and the face. The plural is calvariae.

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The anterior ethmoidal artery, also anterior ethmoid artery is an artery of the head.

Course

It accompanies the nasociliary nerve through the anterior ethmoidal canal, supplies the anterior and middle ethmoidal cells and frontal sinus, and enters the cranium


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The Meningeal Branches of the ascending pharyngeal artery are several small vessels, which supply the dura mater.

One, the posterior meningeal, passes through the mastoid foramen before entering the cranium via the jugular foramen.
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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 point corresponding with the posterior end of the sphenoparietal suture is named the pterion.

Location

It is situated about 3 cm. behind, and a little above the level of the zygomatic process of the frontal bone.
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Extradural haemorrhage
Classification & external resources

Nontraumatic epidural hematoma in a young woman. The grey area in the top left is organizing hematoma, causing midline shift and compression of the ventricle.
ICD-10 I 62.1 , S 06.4
ICD-9 432.
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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 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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The foramen spinosum is one of several foramina located in the base of the skull, on the sphenoid bone, situated lateral to the foramen ovale, in a posterior angle.

Contents

It permits the passage of certain arteries, veins and/or other structures:

..... Click the link for more information.
The sphenoid bone (from Greek sphenoeides, "wedgelike") is a bone situated at the base of the skull in front of the temporals and basilar part of the occipital bone.

The sphenoid bone somewhat resembles a butterfly or bat with its wings extended.
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skull is a bony structure found in many animals which serves as the general framework for the head. The skull supports the structures of the face and protects the head against injury.

The skull can be subdivided into two parts: the cranium and the mandible.
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The sphenoid bone (from Greek sphenoeides, "wedgelike") is a bone situated at the base of the skull in front of the temporals and basilar part of the occipital bone.

The sphenoid bone somewhat resembles a butterfly or bat with its wings extended.
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The parietal bones are bones in the human skull and form, by their union, the sides and roof of the cranium. Each bone is irregularly quadrilateral in form, and has two surfaces, four borders, and four angles.

Surfaces

External

The external surface [Fig.
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In arthropod and vertebrate anatomy, the vertex (or cranial vertex) refers to the upper surface of the head.

In humans, the vertex is formed by four bones of the skull: the frontal bone, the two parietal bones, and the occipital bone.
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The word occipital refers to several areas of the human body in the occiput, the rear of the skull:
  • Occipital bun
  • Occipital lobe
  • Occipital bone
  • Occipital scales
  • Occipital artery
  • Occipital vein
  • Lesser occipital nerve
  • Greater occipital nerve

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The squama of the temporal bone forms the anterior and upper part of the bone, and is scale-like, thin, and translucent.

Surfaces

Its outer surface is smooth and ; it affords attachment to the temporalis muscle, and forms part of the temporal fossa; on its hinder
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