Abstract
Many authors have studied variation in the maxillary artery but there have been inconsistencies between reported observations. The present research aimed to examine the courses and branching patterns of the trunk and branches of the maxillary artery in a large sample of Japanese adult cadavers. The course of the maxillary artery should be reclassified into seven groups as a clear relationship was found between the origin of the middle meningeal artery and the course of the maxillary artery. This indicates that conventional theory about the formation of the maxillary artery, which was considered to be a direct derivative of the stapedial artery, might be inaccurate. Many variations in the origin of the inferior alveolar artery were found. Notably, the inferior alveolar artery origin from the external carotid artery and a double origin of the inferior alveolar artery was also observed. Thus, the maxillary artery might be derived from a combination of both the external carotid and stapedial arteries.
Highlights
IntroductionVariations in the maxillary artery have been studied by many investigators (Thomson 1891; Adachi 1928; Fujita 1932; Kijima 1932; Lurje 1947; Lasker et al 1951; Takarada 1958; Krizan 1960; Ikakura 1961; Skopakoff 1968; Czerwinski1981; Iwamoto et al 1981; Sashi 1989; Tsuda 1991; Otake et al 2011)
This indicates that conventional theory about the formation of the maxillary artery, which was considered to be a direct derivative of the stapedial artery, might be inaccurate
Group B corresponds to type A and B of Fujita’s method, which were divided from the buccal nerve (Fig. 1; Table 2)
Summary
Variations in the maxillary artery have been studied by many investigators (Thomson 1891; Adachi 1928; Fujita 1932; Kijima 1932; Lurje 1947; Lasker et al 1951; Takarada 1958; Krizan 1960; Ikakura 1961; Skopakoff 1968; Czerwinski1981; Iwamoto et al 1981; Sashi 1989; Tsuda 1991; Otake et al 2011). The frequencies of the maxillary artery running medially to the lateral pterygoid have been reported as follows: 7.3 % in Mongoloid (Japanese), 38.0 % in Caucasoid (Table 1). The type of maxillary artery that runs medially to the mandibular nerve is rare in many populations. It is important to know that the branching order and formation of the maxillary artery are variable. The course of the maxillary artery has been classified into three types by Loth (1931) or five types by Fujita (1932) (Table 2). Two other courses of the maxillary artery were reported by Tanaka et al (2003), Tadokoro et al
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