For medical, nursing, and physiotherapy undergraduates, and postgraduates

1. MAXILLARY ARTERY
DR. SUNDIP CHARMODE
ASSISATNT PROFESSOR

2. OBJECTIVES
• Origin and course of Maxillary artery
• Branches and distribution of Maxillary artery
• Origin, course, branches, distribution of Mandibular nerve
• Structure, connections and branches of Otic ganglion
• Clinical correlation of Maxillary artery and Mandibular nerve

5. INTRODUCTION/ORIGIN
• Internal maxillary artery
• Larger terminal branch of external carotid artery
• Originates adjacent to neck of mandible, within the parotid gland
passes forward through the infratemporal fossa, and then enters the
pterygo-palatine fossa through the pterygo-maxillary fissure

7. PARTS/DIVISIONS
• Lower part of lateral pterygoid divides the course of the artery into
three parts
• First part / mandibular part
• Second part /pterygoid part
• Third /pterygo-palatine part

12. BRANCHES OF FIRST PART
• Extends from neck of mandible and reaches lower border of lateral
pterygoid
• Passes forwards and related above by auriculo-temporal nerve
1. Deep auricular artery
2. Anterior tympanic artery
3. Middle meningeal artery
4. Accessory meningeal artery
5. Inferior alveolar artery

15. DISTRIBUTION: BRANCHES OF FIRST PART:
DEEP AURICULAR ARTERY
• Pierces cartilaginous or bony part of external acoustic meatus
• Supply:
• Skin of external acoustic meatus
• Outer surface of tympanic membrane

16. DISTRIBUTION: BRANCHES OF FIRST PART:
ANTERIOR TYMPANIC ARTERY
• Enters tympanic cavity through petro-tympanic fissure
• Anastomose with posterior tympanic branch of stylomastoid artery
• Supply:
• Inner surface of tympanic membrane

17. DISTRIBUTION: BRANCHES OF FIRST PART:
MIDDLE MENINGEAL ARTERY
• Largest branch, pass up, deep to lateral pterygoid
• Embraced by two roots of auriculo-temporal nerve
• Pass through Foramen spinosum with Meningeal branch of
mandibular nerve
• Frontal/anterior branch
• Parietal/posterior branch

19. MIDDLE MENINGEAL ARTERY – WITHIN
CRANIAL CAVITY
• Ganglionic branches – supply trigeminal ganglion and its associated
nerve roots
• Petrosal branch - enters tympanic cavity through hiatus for greater
petrosal nerve
• Superior tympanic - enters tympanic cavity through canal for tensor
tympanic muscle

20. MIDDLE MENINGEAL ARTERY – WITHIN
CRANIAL CAVITY
• Temporal branches – pierce greater wing of sphenoid and
anastomose with deep temporal arteries in temporal fossa
• Anastomosing branch – enters the orbit through superior orbital
fissure and joins with recurrent meningeal branch of lacrimal artery
• Unnamed branches – supply dura mater, skull bones and red bone
marrow

21. DISTRIBUTION: BRANCHES OF FIRST PART:
ACCESSORY MENINGEAL ARTERY
• Enters the skull through foramen ovale

22. DISTRIBUTION: BRANCHES OF FIRST PART:
INFERIOR ALVEOLAR ARTERY
• Pass downwards between spheno-mandibular ligament and ramus of
mandible and accompanies corresponding nerve
• Enters mandibular foramen, run through mandibular canal, within canal
divide into Mental and Incisive branches
• Supply:
• Molar, premolar teeth, adjoining gums
• Mental artery – mental foramen- skin of chin
• Incisive artery- canine, incisors, adjoining gums

23. DISTRIBUTION: BRANCHES OF FIRST PART:
INFERIOR ALVEOLAR ARTERY
• Before entering mandibular foramen, the artery gives Lingual and
Mylohyoid branches
• Supply:
• Lingual artery, accompany lingual nerve and supply mucous
membrane of cheek
• Mylohyoid artery along with same nerve – pierce spheno-
mandibular ligament- pass superficial to mylohyoid muscle

24. BRANCHES AND DISTRIBUTION OF SECOND PART
• Pass superficial or deep to lower
border of lateral pterygoid
• Passes upward and forwards. All -
Muscular
1. Deep temporal (2)
2. Pterygoid branches
3. Masseteric artery
4. Buccal artery

26. BRANCHES OF THIRD PART
• Enters the pterygo-palatine fossa between two heads of lateral pterygoid and
pass through pterygo-maxillary fissure
• Within the fossa, artery lies in front of pterygo-palatine ganglion
1. Posterior superior alveolar artery
2. Infra orbital artery
3. Greater palatine artery
4. Pharyngeal artery
5. Artery of pterygoid canal
6. Spheno-palatine artery

29. DISTRIBUTION OF BRANCHES OF THIRD PART
• Posterior superior alveolar artery – molar, premolar teeth and
mucous membrane of maxillary sinus
• Infra orbital artery -
• Pass through inferior orbital fissure
• Infraorbital groove
• Accompanied by corresponding nerve
• Appears in face through infraorbital foramen
• Orbital branches: within orbital canal- supply lower orbital muscles
• Anterior superior alveolar branches – supply maxillary sinus, canine
and incisors
• Face – supply medial angle of eye, lacrimal sac, side of nose, upper lip

30. DISTRIBUTION OF BRANCHES OF THIRD PART
• Greater palatine artery – pass down through greater palatine canal.
Terminal part ascends up through lateral incisive canal and
anastomose with long sphenopalatine artery.
• Supply:
• Mucous membrane of roof of mouth, adjoining gums
• Within greater palatine canal, give lesser palatine branches
• Supply soft palate and palatine tonsils
• Pharyngeal artery - supply mucous membrane of nasopharynx,
auditory tube and tympanic cavity
• Artery of pterygoid canal – supply pharynx, auditory tube, tympanic
cavity

31. DISTRIBUTION OF BRANCHES OF THIRD PART
• Spheno-palatine artery – continuation of maxillary artery
• Enters nasal cavity through sphenopalatine foramen
• Branches –
• Posterior lateral nasal – ramify over the concha and meatuses and
supply ethmoidal and sphenoidal air sinuses
• Posterior septal – supply nasal septum

32. PTERYGOID VENOUS PLEXUS
• Network of veins between medial and lateral pterygoid muscle, and
between lateral pterygoid and temporalis
• Communications of venous plexus:
1. Inferior ophthalmic vein through inferior orbital fissure
2. Cavernous sinus through emissary veins
3. Facial vein through deep facial vein
• Plexus is derived by maxillary vein formed at the lower border of lateral
pterygoid muscle
• Peripheral heart

34. THANK YOU