Infraorbital artery

The infraorbital artery is an artery in the head that branches off the maxillary artery, emerging through the infraorbital foramen, just under the orbit of the eye.

Infraorbital artery
Plan of branches of internal maxillary artery. (Infraorbital at far right.)
Left orbicularis oculi, seen from behind. (Infraorbital labeled at lower left.)
Details
SourceMaxillary artery
BranchesOrbital branches
anterior superior alveolar arteries
Identifiers
LatinArteria infraorbitalis
TA98A12.2.05.078
TA24447
FMA49767
Anatomical terminology
Branches of the maxillary artery.

Course

The infraorbital artery appears, from its direction, to be the continuation of the trunk of the maxillary artery, but often arises in conjunction with the posterior superior alveolar artery.

It runs along the infraorbital groove and canal with the infraorbital nerve, and emerges on the face through the infraorbital foramen, beneath the infraorbital head of the levator labii superioris muscle.

Branches

While in the canal, it gives off

On the face, some branches pass upward to the medial angle of the orbit and the lacrimal sac, anastomosing with the angular artery, a branch of the facial artery; others run toward the nose, anastomosing with the dorsal nasal branch of the ophthalmic artery; and others descend between the levator labii superioris and the levator anguli oris, and anastomose with the facial artery, transverse facial artery, and buccal artery.

The four remaining branches arise from that portion of the maxillary artery which is contained in the pterygopalatine fossa.

Additional images
  • Diagram showing the origins of the main branches of the carotid arteries.
  • Bloodvessels of the eyelids, front view.

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 562 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

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