Inferior alveolar artery
| Inferior alveolar artery | |
|---|---|
| File:Gray511.svg Plan of branches of internal maxillary artery. (Inferior alveolar labeled at bottom center.) | |
| File:Inferior alveolar artery.png Plan of branches of the maxillary artery. | |
| Details | |
| Source | Maxillary artery |
| Branches | Incisor branch mental branch lingual branch mylohyoid branch |
| Supplies | Dental alveolus |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | arteria alveolaris inferior |
| TA98 | Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 746: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| TH | {{#property:P1694}} |
| TE | {{#property:P1693}} |
| FMA | {{#property:P1402}} |
| Anatomical terminology [[[d:Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 865: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).|edit on Wikidata]]] | |
The inferior alveolar artery (inferior dental artery) is an artery of the head. It is a branch of (the first part of) the maxillary artery. It descends through the infratemporal fossa[1] as part of a neurovascular bundle with the inferior alveolar nerve and vein to the mandibular foramen where it enters and passes anteriorly inside the mandible, supplying the body of mandible and the dental pulp of the lower molar and premolar teeth.[2] Its terminal incisor branch supplies the rest of the lower teeth.[citation needed] Its mental branch exits the mandibula anteriorly through the mental foramen to supply adjacent lip and skin.[2]
Structure
[edit | edit source]Course
[edit | edit source]It passes inferior-ward through the infratemporal fossa[1] as part of a neurovascular bundle with the inferior alveolar nerve and vein to the mandibular foramen.[2] In the infratemporal fossa, it is situated posterior to the inferior alveolar nerve, lateral to the skull, and medial to the sphenomandibular ligament.[1]
It enters the mandibular foramen (of the medial surface of the ramus of the mandible[citation needed]) to come to pass[1] anterior-ward[2] within the mandibular canal alongside the inferior alveolar nerve. Within the canal, it provides arterial supply to the mandibular/lower molar and premolar teeth before splitting into its two terminal branches (incisive branch and mental branch) close to the first premolar.[1]
Branches
[edit | edit source]The inferior alveolar artery and its incisor branch during their course through mandibular canal issue a few twigs which are lost in the cancellous tissue, and a series of branches which correspond in number to the number of the roots of the teeth: these enter the minute apertures at the extremities of the roots of the teeth to supply the pulp of the teeth.[citation needed]
Lingual branch
[edit | edit source]Near to its origin, the inferior alveolar artery issues a lingual branch which passes inferior-ward alongside the lingual nerve. It provides arterial supply to the mucous membrane of the tongue.[1]
Incisor branch
[edit | edit source]The incisor branch is continued anterior-ward inferior to the incisor teeth as far as the midline where it anastomoses with its contralateral partner (sometimes an incisor branch continue across the midline to the other side).[1]
Mental branch
[edit | edit source]The mental branch exits the mandibula anteriorly at the mental foramen alongside the mental nerve.[2] It provides arterial supply to the chin,[1] supplying adjacent skin and lip.[2] It forms anastomoses with the submental and inferior labial arteries.[1]
Mylohyoid branch
[edit | edit source]The inferior alveolar artery emits the mylohyoid branch before entering the mandibular foramen. The branch pierces the sphenomandibular ligament to come to pass inferior-ward along the mylohyoid groove (which occurs upon the interior surface of the ramus of mandible) accompanied by the mylohyoid nerve. The branch ramifies upon the mylohyoid muscle[1] and provides arterial supply to this muscle.[citation needed] It forms anastomoses with the submental branch of the facial artery.[1]
Additional images
[edit | edit source]-
Mandibular division of trigeminal nerve, seen from the middle line. -
External carotid artery with branches
References
[edit | edit source]Public domain This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)
External links
[edit | edit source]- lesson4 at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (infratempfossaart)
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