Maxillary artery

Dr Henry Knipe ◉ ◈ and A.Prof Frank Gaillard ◉ ◈ et al.

The (internal) maxillary artery is the larger of the two terminal branches of the external carotid artery.

Origin and course

The maxillary artery's origin is behind the neck of the mandible, at first, it is embedded in the substance of the parotid gland. From there it passes anterior between the ramus of the mandible and the sphenomandibular ligament, and then runs, either superficial or deep to the lateral pterygoid muscle, to the pterygopalatine fossa. It supplies the deep structures of the face.

The maxillary artery is divided into three portions by its relation to the lateral pterygoid muscle:

first (mandibular) part: posterior to lateral pterygoid muscle (five branches)
second (pterygoid or muscular) part: within lateral pterygoid muscle (five branches)
third (pterygopalatine) part: anterior to lateral pterygoid muscle (six branches including terminal branch)

Branches

First (mandibular) part

Five branches, each of which enters a bony foramen:

deep auricular artery (enters squamotympanic fissure)
anterior tympanic artery (enters squamotympanic fissure)
middle meningeal artery (enters foramen spinosum)
accessory meningeal artery (enters foramen ovale)
inferior alveolar artery (enters mandibular foramen)
- artery to mylohyoid

Second (pterygoid or muscular) part

Five branches although pterygoid branches are irregular in their number and origin:

anterior, middle and posterior deep temporal branches ⁵
pterygoid branches
masseteric artery
buccinator artery

Third (pterygopalatine) part

Six branches including the terminal branch:

posterior superior alveolar artery
infraorbital artery (enters inferior orbital fissure)
artery of the pterygoid canal
pharyngeal artery (enters palatovaginal canal)
greater (descending) palatine artery (enters greater palatine foramen)
sphenopalatine artery - terminal branch (enters sphenopalatine foramen)

A long mnemonic to remember these branches is:

DAM I AM Piss Drunk But Stupid Drunk I Prefer, Must Phone Alcoholics Anonymous

Quiz questions

{"accessible":false,"alternatives":[{"id":5113,"text":"ascending pharyngeal artery"},{"id":5114,"text":"occipital artery"},{"id":5115,"text":"sphenopalatine artery"},{"id":5116,"text":"superficial temporal artery"},{"id":5117,"text":"superior thyroid artery"}],"archived":false,"correctAlternativeId":5115,"explanation":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"/articles/external-carotid-artery-1\"\u003eexternal carotid artery\u003c/a\u003e gives off eight branches: \u003ca title=\"Superior thyroid artery\" class=\"internal\" href=\"/articles/superior-thyroid-artery\"\u003esuperior thyroid artery\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca title=\"Ascending pharyngeal artery\" class=\"internal\" href=\"/articles/ascending-pharyngeal-artery\"\u003eascending pharyngeal artery\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca title=\"Lingual artery\" class=\"internal\" href=\"/articles/lingual-artery\"\u003elingual artery\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca title=\"Facial artery\" class=\"internal\" href=\"/articles/facial-artery\"\u003efacial artery\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca title=\"Occipital artery\" class=\"internal\" href=\"/articles/occipital-artery-1\"\u003eoccipital artery\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca title=\"Posterior auricular artery\" class=\"internal\" href=\"/articles/posterior-auricular-artery\"\u003eposterior auricular artery\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca title=\"Maxillary artery\" class=\"internal\" href=\"/articles/maxillary-artery\"\u003emaxillary artery\u003c/a\u003e and the \u003ca title=\"Superficial temporal artery\" class=\"internal\" href=\"/articles/superficial-temporal-artery\"\u003esuperficial temporal artery\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/articles/sphenopalatine-artery\"\u003eSphenopalatine artery\u003c/a\u003e is a branch of the maxillary artery.\u003c/p\u003e","id":1020,"imageUrl":null,"nextQuestionPath":"/questions/1020/next","relatedArticles":[{"id":22253,"title":"Branches of the external carotid artery (mnemonic)","link":"/articles/branches-of-the-external-carotid-artery-mnemonic?lang=us"},{"id":4641,"title":"External carotid artery","link":"/articles/external-carotid-artery-1?lang=us"},{"id":8746,"title":"Branches of maxillary artery (mnemonic)","link":"/articles/branches-of-maxillary-artery-mnemonic?lang=us"}],"stem":"\u003cp\u003eWhich of the following is \u003cstrong\u003eNOT\u003c/strong\u003e a branch of the external carotid artery?\u003c/p\u003e","articleId":"maxillary-artery","nextQuestionId":1019,"containerId":"expandableQuestionsContainer"}