Facial artery

Blood vessel supplying blood to the superficial face

Facial artery
The arteries of the face and scalp. (External maxillary visible at bottom center.)
Outline of side of face, showing chief surface markings. (Label for "Ext. Max. Art." at bottom left.)
Details
Source	external carotid artery
Branches	Ascending palatine artery Tonsillar branch Submental artery Glandular branches Inferior labial artery Superior labial artery Lateral nasal branch Angular artery (terminal branch)
Vein	anterior facial vein, posterior facial vein
Identifiers
Latin	arteria facialis, arteria maxillaris externa
TA98	A12.2.05.020
TA2	4388
FMA	49549
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

The facial artery (external maxillary artery in older texts) is a branch of the external carotid artery that supplies structures of the superficial face.

Structure

The facial artery arises in the carotid triangle from the external carotid artery,^[1]^[2] a little above the lingual artery and, sheltered by the ramus of the mandible. It passes obliquely up beneath the digastric and stylohyoid muscles, over which it arches to enter a groove on the posterior surface of the submandibular gland.^[3]

It then curves upward over the body of the mandible at the antero-inferior angle of the masseter;^[1]^[2] passes forward and upward across the cheek to the angle of the mouth, then ascends along the side of the nose, and ends at the medial commissure of the eye, under the name of the angular artery.^[4]

The facial artery is remarkably tortuous. This is to accommodate itself to neck movements such as those of the pharynx in swallowing; and facial movements such as those of the mandible, lips, and cheeks.

Relations

In the neck, its origin is superficial, being covered by the integument, platysma, and fascia; it then passes beneath the digastric and stylohyoid muscles and part of the submandibular gland, but superficial to the hypoglossal nerve.

It lies upon the middle pharyngeal constrictor and the superior pharyngeal constrictor, the latter of which separates it, at the summit of its arch, from the lower and back part of the tonsil.

On the face, where it passes over the body of the mandible, it is comparatively superficial, lying immediately beneath the dilators of the mouth. In its course over the face, it is covered by the integument, the fat of the cheek, and, near the angle of the mouth, by the platysma, risorius, and zygomaticus major. It rests on the buccinator and levator anguli oris, and passes either over or under the infraorbital head of the levator labii superioris.

The anterior facial vein lies lateral/posterior to the artery,^[2] and takes a more direct course across the face, where it is separated from the artery by a considerable interval. In the neck it lies superficial to the artery.

The branches of the facial nerve cross the artery from behind forward.

The facial artery anastomoses with (among others) the dorsal nasal artery of the internal carotid artery.

Branches

The branches of the facial artery are:^[4]

cervical
facial
- Inferior labial artery
- Superior labial artery
- Lateral nasal branch to nasalis muscle
- Angular artery - the terminal branch

Muscles

Muscles supplied by the facial artery include:

Clinical significance

The facial artery may be punctured during maxillofacial surgery, and is likely to haemorrhage significantly.^[5]

Additional images

Diagram showing the origins of the main branches of the carotid arteries.
Side of neck, showing chief surface markings.
Facial artery

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 553 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

^ ^a ^b Robinson, June K; Anderson, E Ratcliffe (2005-01-01), Robinson, June K; Sengelmann, Roberta D; Hanke, C William; Siegel, Daniel Mark (eds.), "Chapter 1 - Skin Structure and Surgical Anatomy", Surgery of the Skin, Edinburgh: Mosby, pp. 3–23, doi:10.1016/b978-0-323-02752-6.50006-7, ISBN 978-0-323-02752-6, retrieved 2020-11-14
^ ^a ^b ^c Sykes, Jonathan M.; Suárez, Gustavo A.; Trevidic, Patrick; Cotofana, Sebastian; Moon, Hyoung Jin (2018-01-01), Azizzadeh, Babak; Murphy, Mark R.; Johnson, Calvin M.; Massry, Guy G. (eds.), "Chapter 2 - Applied Facial Anatomy", Master Techniques in Facial Rejuvenation (Second Edition), Elsevier, pp. 6–14, doi:10.1016/b978-0-323-35876-7.00002-9, ISBN 978-0-323-35876-7, retrieved 2020-11-14
^ Markiewicz, Michael R.; Ord, Robert; Fernandes, Rui P. (2017-01-01), Brennan, Peter A.; Schliephake, Henning; Ghali, G. E.; Cascarini, Luke (eds.), "43 - Local and Regional Flap Reconstruction of Maxillofacial Defects", Maxillofacial Surgery (Third Edition), Churchill Livingstone, pp. 616–635, doi:10.1016/b978-0-7020-6056-4.00044-7, ISBN 978-0-7020-6056-4, retrieved 2020-11-14
^ ^a ^b Barral, Jean-Pierre; Croibier, Alain (2011-01-01), Barral, Jean-Pierre; Croibier, Alain (eds.), "16 - The facial artery", Visceral Vascular Manipulations, Oxford: Churchill Livingstone, pp. 143–146, doi:10.1016/b978-0-7020-4351-2.00016-8, ISBN 978-0-7020-4351-2, retrieved 2020-11-14
^ Gillespie, M. Boyd; Eisele, David W. (2009-01-01), Eisele, David W.; Smith, Richard V. (eds.), "CHAPTER 20 - Complications of Surgery of the Salivary Glands", Complications in Head and Neck Surgery (Second Edition), Philadelphia: Mosby, pp. 221–239, doi:10.1016/b978-141604220-4.50024-9, ISBN 978-1-4160-4220-4, retrieved 2020-11-14

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Facial artery.

"Facial artery". Medcyclopaedia. GE. Archived from the original on 2012-02-05.
Anatomy photo:23:09-0101 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "The Facial Artery and Vein"
Anatomy figure: 25:04-04 at Human Anatomy Online, SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "Branches of the external carotid artery."
Anatomy photo:31:09-0106 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "Common Carotid Artery and Branches of the External Carotid Artery"

Arteries of the head and neck

facial

cervical branches (ascending palatine, tonsillar, submental, glandular)
facial branches (inferior labial
superior labial / nasal septum
lateral nasal
angular)

1st part / mandibular	anterior tympanic deep auricular middle meningeal (superior tympanic, petrosal) accessory meningeal inferior alveolar
2nd part / pterygoid	to muscles of mastication (deep temporal, pterygoid, masseteric) buccal
3rd part / pterygopalatine	posterior superior alveolar infraorbital (anterior superior alveolar) descending palatine (greater palatine, lesser palatine) artery of the pterygoid canal sphenopalatine (posterior septal branches, posterior lateral nasal) pharyngeal

ICA

cervical	carotid sinus
petrous	Vidian caroticotympanic
cavernous/ ophthalmic	orbital group:anterior ethmoidal posterior ethmoidal lacrimal (lateral palpebral) medial palpebral terminal (supraorbital, supratrochlear, dorsal nasal) ocular group: central retinal ciliary (short posterior, long posterior, anterior) Circulus arteriosus major hypophysial (superior, inferior)
brain	Circle of Willis ACA (anterior communicating, Recurrent artery of Heubner, Orbitofrontal artery) MCA (anterolateral central, Prefrontal artery, Superior terminal branch, Inferior terminal branch, Anterior temporal branch) posterior communicating anterior choroidal

ScA

vertebral artery

meningeal
spinal (posterior, anterior)
basilar: pontine
labyrinthine
cerebellar (AICA, SCA, PICA)
cerebral (PCA)

thyrocervical trunk

inferior thyroid	inferior laryngeal tracheal esophageal ascending cervical pharyngeal glandular branches
transverse cervical	superficial branch deep branch / dorsal scapular scapular anastomosis
suprascapular	acromial branch scapular anastomosis