The maxillary artery is the larger of the two terminal branches of the external carotid artery.

It arises posterior to the neck of the mandibular condyle, and then passes superficial or deep to the lateral pterygoid muscle.

The artery passes medially from the infratemporal fossa through the pterygomaxillary fissure to enter the pterygopalatine fossa.

The maxillary artery is thus divided into three parts by its relation to the lateral pterygoid muscle.

Branches

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The artery may be divided into three sections each of which gives off numrerous branches.
I. Small branches passing through foramina into the skull and mandible:

• Deep auricular artery runs posteriorly and superiorly to the external acoustic meatis.
• Anterior tympanic artery runs superiorly and posteriorly behind the tempero-mandibular joint and into the tympanic cavity.
• Middle meningeal artery runs through the foramen spinosum. An accessory meningeal artery may also be present.
• Inferior alveolar artery runs inferiorly and through the mandibular foramen to supply the lower teeth.

The deep auricular artery, anterior tympanic artery and meningeal arteries run superiorly and usually pass medially (deep) to the lateral pteregoid muscle.
II. Muscular branches:

• Deep temporal artery runs under temporalis. There may be multiple branches of this artery off the maxillary artery.
• Buccal artery supplies the cheek.
• Muscular branches to the medial pteregoid and lateral pteregoid muscles
• Muscular branches to the masseter.
  

III Arteries of the sphenopalatine fossa:

• Sphenopalatine artery runs into the nasal cavity where it branches into the posterior nasal septal artery and the posterior lateral nasal artery]]. The posterior nasal septal artery supplies the nasal septum. The posterior lateral nasal artery supplies the inferior turbinate where it usually travels within or close to the turbinate bone.
• Posterior superior alveolar artery supplies the upper molars and alveoli.
• Infraorbital artery runs with the infraorbital nerve through the infraorbital canal to supply the orbit and an area of the face just below the orbit.
• Descending palatine artery divides into the greater palatine artery and lesser palatine artery, which supply the palate.

Some anatomists consider the posterior superior alveolar, infraorbital and descending palatine arteries to be branches of the sphenopalatine artery as opposed to the maxillary artery.

See also

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• External maxillary artery
• Internal maxillary artery

External links

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• Arclab.org

Arteries

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