Terminal branches of External Maxillary artery

Terminal branches of External Maxillary artery

Terminal branches of External Maxillary artery are malar artery, infraorbital artery, spheno-palatine artery, greater palatine artery-

Malar artery
  • Malar artery is one of the terminal branches of the internal maxillary artery.
  • It runs along the medial wall of the orbit passes along the floor of the orbit penetrates the periorbita gains exit out of the orbit and supplies branches to the lower eyelid and malaris and divides into ascending and descending branches. Of which the former passes up and anastomoses with the branch of the superficial temporal artery and the latter is the dorsal nasal artery to supply the nasal muscles and the nostril.
Infraorbital artery
  • Infraorbital artery arises with the malar artery.
  • It passes downwards and forwards reaches the maxillary hiatus enters the maxillary foramen passes along the infraorbital canal, passes out of it at the infraorbital foramen and is continued as the lateral nasal artery to supply the nostril.
  • In the infraorbital canal it gives off branches to the roots of the upper cheek teeth.
Spheno palatine artery
  • Spheno palatine artery arises in common with the greater palatine artery crosses the infraorbital artery enters the sphenopalatine foramen in company with the nerve enters the nasal cavity and divides to supply the nasal mucous membrane.
Greater palatine artery
  • Greater palatine artery is the largest of the terminal branches of the internal maxillary artery.
  • It enters the palatine canal comes out of it at the anterior palatine foramen passes forwards in the palatine groove on the deep face of the hard palate enters the nasal cavity through the incisive fissure and terminates in the mucous membrane of the anterior part of the nasal cavity.
  • In its course it gives off pterygoid branches to the pterygoids posterior branches to the hard palate, nasal branches to the nasal mucous membrane and branches to the dental pad.
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