Maxillary artery

General course of the vessel

Heading anteriorly and laterally, the maxillary artery makes its way through narrow anatomical spaces. First, it passes between the ramus of the mandible and the sphenomandibular ligament (lig. sphenomandibulare). Next, its trunk runs in the intermuscular space—between the lateral pterygoid (m. pterygoideus lateralis) and temporalis (m. temporalis) muscles. The vessel completes its course deep within the facial skeleton, reaching the pterygopalatine fossa (fossa pterygopalatina), where its final branching takes place.

For convenience of study, the entire trunk of the artery is conventionally divided into three parts based on surrounding landmarks.

I. Mandibular part (pars mandibularis)

This segment of the vessel lies in close proximity to the neck of the mandible. It gives rise to vessels supplying the structures of the ear, joint, and mandible:

1. Deep auricular artery (a. auricularis profunda) — courses toward the temporomandibular joint (supplying its capsule), and also supplies the tympanic membrane and the walls of the external acoustic meatus.
2. Anterior tympanic artery (a. tympanica anterior) — enters the tympanic cavity through the petrotympanic fissure (fissura petrotympanica), supplying its mucous membrane with blood.
3. Inferior alveolar artery (a. alveolaris inferior) — a large vessel that descends along with the nerve of the same name into the mandibular canal (canalis mandibulae). Inside the canal, it gives off branches to the teeth (rr. dentales), alveoli, and gingiva (rr. peridentales). Before entering the canal, it branches off the mylohyoid branch (r. mylohyoideus). The terminal segment emerges externally through the mental foramen as the mental branch (r. mentalis), which supplies the lower lip and chin, forming anastomoses with the submental (a. submentalis) and inferior labial (a. labialis inferior) arteries.

II. Pterygoid part (pars pterygoidea)

The second part lies within the muscular mass between the temporalis and lateral pterygoid muscles. Its main task is the blood supply to the muscles of mastication and the meninges.

• Middle meningeal artery (a. meningea media) — a crucial vessel entering the cranial cavity through the foramen spinosum (foramen spinosum). Inside the skull, the artery branches into frontal (r. frontalis) and parietal (r. parietalis) branches running along the outer surface of the dura mater. It also gives off branches to the tympanic cavity (a. tympanica superior), the orbital region (r. orbitalis), the canal of the greater petrosal nerve (r. petrosus), and anastomoses with the lacrimal artery. A separate branch (a. pterygomeningea) goes to the auditory tube and pterygoid muscles.
• Deep temporal arteries (aa. temporales profundae anterior et posterior) — ascend into the temporal fossa, lying between the bone and the temporalis muscle, providing it with blood.
• Masseteric artery (a. masseterica) — passes through the mandibular notch to the masseter muscle of the same name.
• Buccal artery (a. buccalis) — lies on the buccinator muscle, supplying the muscle itself, as well as the oral mucosa and the gingiva of the maxilla. Forms an anastomosis with the facial artery.
• Pterygoid branches (rr. pterygoidei) — head toward the medial and lateral pterygoid muscles.
• Posterior superior alveolar artery (a. alveolaris superior posterior) — runs to the maxillary tuberosity (tuber maxillae). It gives off dental and periodontal branches that supply the upper molar teeth.

III. Pterygopalatine part (pars pterygopalatina)

The third, terminal part is concealed within the pterygopalatine fossa. From here, vessels diverge to the face, nasal cavity, and palate.

1. Infraorbital artery (a. infraorbitalis) — enters the orbit through the inferior orbital fissure, lies in the infraorbital groove, and emerges onto the facial surface through the canal of the same name. It gives off anterior superior alveolar arteries (aa. alveolares superiores anteriores) supplying the anterior group of upper teeth. On the face, it anastomoses with branches of the facial artery.
2. Descending palatine artery (a. palatina descendens) — descends into the greater palatine canal. It divides into the lesser palatine arteries (to the soft palate and tonsils) and the greater palatine artery (runs along the hard palate, anastomosing with the posterior septal and superior labial arteries).
3. Sphenopalatine artery (a. sphenopalatina) — enters the nasal cavity through the sphenopalatine foramen. It gives off posterior lateral nasal branches to the conchae and walls, as well as the posterior septal branch (r. septalis posterior). It forms connections with branches of the ophthalmic artery and, via the incisive canal, with the greater palatine artery.
4. Artery of the pterygoid canal (a. canalis pterygoidei) — may arise independently or from the descending palatine artery. It sends a pharyngeal branch (r. pharyngeus) to the pharyngeal walls.

Briefly: answers to topical questions

Class and exam questions

What else to study on this topic

• Anastomoses of branches of the a. maxillaris with the facial artery (a. facialis)
• Topography of the pterygopalatine fossa and its neurovascular bundles
• Blood supply characteristics of the upper and lower dental arches
• Blood supply diagram of the dura mater (a. meningea media basin)
• Topography of the mandibular canal and its contents

Other topics in the "Angiology" section

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