Maxillary artery

The maxillary artery is the largest arterial branch of the Arteria carotis externa

Anatomy

Below the temporomandibular joint, the maxillary artery arises from the external carotid artery as its largest terminal branch and runs behind the neck of the mandible into the deep facial region. There, it runs between the muscles of mastication and then ascends toward the Fossa pterygopalatina

• Mandibular part: The mandibular part runs horizontally and corresponds to the segment behind the neck of the mandible.

• Pterygoid part: This part runs obliquely upward in a variable position relative to the muscles of mastication.

• Pterygomaxillary part: The final segment of the maxillary artery runs upward and enters the pterygopalatine fossa through the pterygomaxillary fissure.

Mandibular part

The following branches arise from the mandibular part of the maxillary artery:

• The deep auricular artery runs to the temporomandibular joint, external auditory canal, and tympanic membrane.

• Arteria tympanica anteriorFissura petrotympanica

• The inferior alveolar artery runs caudally and gives off the mylohyoid branch before entering the mandibular canal. The inferior alveolar artery supplies the teeth, bone, and soft tissues of the mandible. It terminates as the mental artery, which exits through the Foramen mentale

• Arteria meningea mediaForamen spinosum into the middle cranial fossa, where it divides into a frontal branch and a parietal branch and gives off several smaller vessels, such as the Arteria tympanica superior

Pterygoid part

The arteries supplying the muscles of mastication arise from the pterygoid part of the maxillary artery:

• Masseteric artery

• Anterior deep temporal artery

• Posterior deep temporal artery

• Pterygoid branches

• Buccal artery, which runs to the buccal mucosa and anastomoses with the Arteria facialis

Pterygomaxillary part

The following branches arise from the pterygomaxillary part of the maxillary artery:

• Posterior superior alveolar artery, which enters the maxillary bone and maxillary sinus and gives off dental and peridental branches.

• Infraorbital artery, which runs anteriorly through the Fissura orbitalis inferiororbit, then runs along the floor in the infraOrbital canal and passes through the Foramen infraorbitale

• Descending palatine artery, which runs caudally and gives off smaller lesser palatine arteries to supply the soft palate, then continues as the greater palatine artery through the greater palatine canal anteriorly to the hard palate.

• Arteria canalis pterygodeiCanalis pterygoideus

• Sphenopalatine artery, which is the terminal branch of the maxillary artery and runs through the sphenopalatine foramen to the nasal cavity, where it divides into the posterior lateral nasal arteries and posterior septal branches.

Figure