New findings on the landmark anatomy of the human superior thyroid artery

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Relevance. The description of thyroid vascular anatomy is widely presented both in classical literature and in modern studies. However, there is no unified approach to determining the linear dimensions of the common carotid artery bifurcation zone. Therefore, the issue of determining the position of the superior thyroid artery orifice relative to different anatomical landmarks remains relevant for both morphologists and practitioners.Objective. To identify variations in the location of the superior thyroid arteries and determine their relationship to the proposed landmarks.Materials and Methods. The work was performed on 36 neck organocomplexes taken at autopsy according to the original technique developed by the authors from persons without obvious thyroid pathology (patent of the Russian Federation No. 2802389) within the framework of the dissertation research approved by the local ethical committee (extract from the minutes of the LEC meeting No. 2 dated 13 September 2023).Results. It was revealed that the upper edge of the common carotid artery bifurcation on the right side was most often located at the level of the upper edge of the thyroid cartilage, while on the left side it was lower. On both sides it was located above the corresponding upper pole of the thyroid lobe. The aperture of the superior thyroid artery was most often located in the area of the bifurcation of the common carotid artery on both sides. A direct relationship of moderate strength on the right side was found between the location of the mouth of the superior thyroid artery and the level of the upper edge of the bifurcation relative to the upper edge of the thyroid cartilage. Conclusion. The obtained data allow us to conclude that it is reasonable to use easily identifiable landmarks during surgical intervention to substantiate the location of the orifice of the superior thyroid artery.