Inferior alveolar artery
| Inferior alveolar artery | |
|---|---|
 Plan of branches of internal maxillary artery. (Inferior alveolar labeled at bottom center.) | |
 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 | A12.2.05.056 |
| TA2 | 4426 |
| FMA | 49695 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
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 anterior-ward inside the mandible, suplying 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
Course
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
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
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
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
The mental branch exits the mandibula anteriorly at the mental foramen[2] alongside the mental nerve.[citation needed] 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
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
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Mandibular division of trigeminal nerve, seen from the middle line. -
External carotid artery with branches
References
This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 561 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Standring, Susan (2020). Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice (42th ed.). New York. p. 654. ISBN 978-0-7020-7707-4. OCLC 1201341621.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ a b c d e f Sinnatamby, Chummy S. (2011). Last's Anatomy (12th ed.). Elsevier Australia. p. 363. ISBN 978-0-7295-3752-0.
External links
- lesson4 at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (infratempfossaart)
