Facial artery

 ( Arteries Of The Head And Neck ) 

The facial artery, formerly called the external maxillary artery, is a branch of the external carotid artery that supplies blood to superficial structures of the medial regions of the face.

It then curves upward over the body of the mandible at the antero-inferior angle of the masseter (Antegonial notch); 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.

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

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, 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.

Image:Gray474.png|Diagram showing the origins of the main branches of the carotid arteries.
Image:Gray1210.png|Side of neck, showing chief surface markings.
File:Slide6ww.JPG|Facial artery