| Maxillary artery | |
|---|---|
 Maxillary artery and its branches. ("Internal maxillary" is horizontal at left center.) | |
 Plan of branches of maxillary artery. | |
| Details | |
| Precursor | Aortic arch 1 |
| Source | External carotid artery |
| Branches | 1st part:anterior tympanic -deep auricular -middle meningeal -superior tympanic artery -accessory meningeal -inferior alveolar 2nd part:Posterior deep temporal artery -Pterygoid branches -masseteric -buccinator -Anterior deep temporal artery 3rd part:posterior superior alveolar -infraorbital -descending palatine -artery of the pterygoid canal -sphenopalatine |
| Vein | Maxillary veins |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | arteria maxillaris |
| MeSH | D008438 |
| TA98 | A12.2.05.053 |
| TA2 | 4422 |
| FMA | 49675 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
Themaxillary artery (eg, internal maxillary artery) supplies deep structures of the face. It branches from theexternal carotid artery just deep to the neck of the mandible.
The maxillary artery, the larger of the two terminal branches of theexternal carotid artery, arises behind the neck of themandible, and is at first imbedded in the substance of theparotid gland; it passes forward between theramus of the mandible and thesphenomandibular ligament, and then runs, either superficial or deep to thelateral pterygoid muscle, to thepterygopalatine fossa.
It supplies the deep structures of the face, and may be divided intomandibular,pterygoid, andpterygopalatine portions.
Thefirst ormandibular orbony portion passes horizontally forward, between the neck of the mandible and the sphenomandibular ligament, where it lies parallel to and a little below theauriculotemporal nerve; it crosses theinferior alveolar nerve, and runs along the lower border of thelateral pterygoid muscle.
Branches include:
Thesecond orpterygoid ormuscular portion runs obliquely forward and upward under cover of the ramus of the mandible and insertion of thetemporalis, on the superficial (very frequently on the deep) surface of thelateral pterygoid muscle; it then passes between the two heads of origin of this muscle and enters the fossa.
Branches include:
Thethird orpterygopalatine[1] orpterygomaxillary portion lies in thepterygopalatine fossa in relation with thepterygopalatine ganglion. This is considered the terminal branch of the maxillary artery.
Branches include:
This article incorporates text in thepublic domain frompage 559 of the 20th edition ofGray's Anatomy(1918)
