MAXILLARY ARTERY

Features
- Larger terminal branch of ECA
course
- Given off behind neck of mandible
First / mandibular part
- Runs horizontally forwards
- First between neck of mandible and sphenomandibular ligament
- Below auriculotemporal nerve
- Along lower border of lateral pterygoid
Second part
- Upwards and forwards
- Superficial to lower head of lateral pterygoid
Third part
- Passes between two heads of lateral pterygoid
- Through pterygomaxillary fissure
- Enter pterygopalatine fossa
BRANCHES
- Branches of first part
  - Deep auricular artery
    - Supplies external acoustic meatus , tympanic membrane and TMJ
  - Anterior tympanic branch
    - Supplies middle ear , medial surface of tympanic membrane
  - Middle meningeal artery
    - Lies between lateral pterygoid and spheno-mandibular ligament
      - Then between 2 roots of auriculotemporal nerve
      - Enters skull through foramen spinosum to reach middle cranial fossa
        
        Divides in to a
        
        large frontal branch which courses to pterion
        
        Smaller parietal branch
  - Accessory meningeal artery
    - Enters cranial cavity
      - Through foramen ovale
        
        Supplies Meninges and structures in infratemporal fossa
  - Inferior alveolar artery
    - Runs downwards and forwards medial to ramus of mandible
      - Reaches mandibular foramen
        
        Before entering gives a
        
        lingual branch to tongue
        
        Mylohyoid branch that descends in mylohyoid groove
        
        Passing through enters mandibular canal
        
        In it runs downward and forwards
        
        Mental branch passes through mental foramen
- SECOND PART
  - mainly muscular branches
    - Masseteric
    - Deep temporal branches ( anterior and posterior )
      - Ascend on lateral aspect of skull deep to temporalis muscle
    - Pterygoid muscles
    - Buccal branch supplies skin of cheek
- THIRD PART
  - posterior superior alveolar artery
    - Just before maxillary artery enters pterygomaxillary fissure
    - Descends on posterior surface of maxilla
    - Gives branches that enter canals in bone to supply molar and premolar teeth
  - Infraorbital artery
    - Arises just before pterygomaxillary fissure
    - Enters orbit through infraorbital fissure
    - Branches
      - Middle superior alveolar branch- premolar teeth
      - Anterior superior alveolar branch- apertures of maxilla to reach incisor and canine teeth
  - Greater palatine artery
    - Runs downward in greater palatine canal
    - Emerge on posterolateral part of hard palate
    - Through greater foramen
    - Runs forward near lateral margin of palate
    - Incisive canal
  - Pharyngeal branch
    - Runs backwards through canal
      - Inferior aspect of body of sphenoid bone
        
        Palatovaginal / pharyngeal canal
    - Supplies part of nasopharynx , auditory tube and sphenoidal air sinus
  - Artery of pterygoid canal
    - Runs backwards
    - Supply pharynx , auditory tube and tympanic cavity
  - Sphenopalatine artery
    - Passes medialy through sphenopalatine foramen
    - Enters cavity of nose
    - Branches
      - Posterolateral nasal branches
        
        Lateral wall of nose , paranasal sinus
      - Posteromedial branches
        
        Nasal septum