Maxillary artery

The Maxillary artery (pronunciation: /mækˈsɪləri ˈɑːrtəri/), also known as the internal maxillary artery, is a major blood vessel in the face. It is one of the two terminal branches of the external carotid artery, the other being the superficial temporal artery.

Etymology

The term "maxillary" is derived from the Latin word "maxilla" which means "jawbone". The term "artery" comes from the Greek word "arteria", meaning "windpipe, artery".

Anatomy

The maxillary artery originates from the external carotid artery in the parotid gland, a major salivary gland located in front of the ear. It then travels through the infratemporal fossa, a space in the skull located below the temporal fossa, and ends in the pterygopalatine fossa, a space in the skull located between the pterygoid process of the sphenoid bone and the maxilla.

The maxillary artery supplies blood to various structures in the face, including the maxilla, mandible, teeth, gums, nose, palate, cheeks, and meninges of the brain.

Branches

The maxillary artery is divided into three parts, each with several branches:

First part (mandibular part): deep auricular artery, anterior tympanic artery, middle meningeal artery, accessory meningeal artery, inferior alveolar artery
Second part (pterygoid part): masseteric artery, deep temporal arteries, pterygoid arteries, buccal artery
Third part (pterygopalatine part): posterior superior alveolar artery, infraorbital artery, descending palatine artery, artery of the pterygoid canal, pharyngeal artery, sphenopalatine artery

Related terms

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Maxillary artery
Wikipedia's article - Maxillary artery

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Maxillary artery