Course Of Facial Artery Research Articles

Study of Anatomical Divergences in Facial Artery Endings

Facial artery supplies musculocutaneous tissue, visceral organs, and salivary glands at the upper cervical and facial level. This artery has wide range of anatomical variations in its course. Objective: To find the anatomical divergences in facial artery endings. Methods: It is a cross sectional study conducted at Jinnah international hospital, Abbottabad from January 2023 to July 2023 for duration of 6 months after taking approval from the ethical review committee. A group of 86 people were selected and anatomical course of facial artery was categorized in to four types. Angiographic images of each participant were evaluated by radiologist to categorize the course of facial artery. Results: The average Body Mass Index (BMI) of the participants was 28.3 ± 5.6. The study of angiographic images has concluded that 38.37% (n=33) has Type I course of facial artery, 47.67% (n=41) participants has Type II, 9.3% (n=8) participants has Type III and 4.65% (n=4) has Type IV category (p=0.01. Of the type I category of facial artery, 5 (15.2%) participants met the criteria of type IA, 7(21.2%) has Type IB and 21(63.6%) participants Type IC course of facial artery (p=0.01). Conclusions: This study has concluded that there exists vast variation in the anatomical course of facial artery in local population that streamlines with other studies conducted internationally. Facial artery with a nasal branch with or without alar endings is the most common anatomical variation.

Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Facial Artery in the Nasolabial Fold for Gender Differences and Symmetry Between Hemifaces.

The aim of this study was to establish the relationship of facial artery with nasolabial fold by color Doppler sonography and to determine facial artery variations and their relationship with age, gender, or hemifaces. The study included 188 patients (94 women, 94 men) aged 18-60 years. Overall, 376 facial arteries in both hemifaces were evaluated for the course within nasolabial fold, symmetry, and relationship with gender. The mean age of the patients was 39.29 ± 12.81 years. Type A (55.7%) was the most common type in both hemifaces. There was no significant relationship between the course of facial artery and age (P > .05). Asymmetrical course of facial artery was more common in females (54.3%). In both genders, type A was the type with highest symmetry detected. Nasolabial fold is one of the important facial regions for filler injection. To prevent vascular injection, course of facial artery should be identified within the nasolabial fold. Type A was the most common type in both hemifaces and genders. Although the rates were close to each other, asymmetry in the course of the facial artery was observed in most of the patients. Ultrasonographic examination which is non-invasive and non-ionizing imaging method can be performed carefully before filler injection to determine vascular tissues.

Evaluation of facial artery course variations, diameters, and depth by Doppler ultrasonography

The facial artery (FA) is the main blood vessel supplying blood to the face. It is essential to understand the anatomy of FA around the nasolabial fold (NLF). This study aimed to provide the detailed anatomy and relative positioning of FA to help avoid unexpected complications in plastic surgery. FA was observed from the inferior border of the mandible to the end of its terminal branch in 66 hemifaces of 33 patients with Doppler ultrasonography. The evaluation parameters were: (1) location, (2) diameter, (3) FA-skin depth, (4) relationship between the NLF and FA, (5) distance between the FA and significant surgical landmarks, and (6) the running layer. The FA course is classified based on the terminal branch. The most common FA course was Type 1, which had an angular branch as the final branch (59.1%). The most common FA-NLF relationship was that the FA was situated inferior to the NLF (50.0%). The mean FA diameter was 1.56±0.36mm at the mandibular origin, 1.40±0.37mm at the cheilion, and 1.32±0.34mm at the nasal ala. The FA diameter on the right hemiface was thicker than that on the left hemiface (p<0.05). The FA mainly terminates in the angular branch, running in the medial NLF and in dermis and subcutaneous tissue, with a blood supply advantage in the right hemisphere. We suppose that a deep injection into periosteum around the NLF may be safer than an injection into the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) layer.

Evaluation of facial artery course variations and depth by Doppler ultrasonography.

As deep nasolabial folds (NLF) are associated with facial aging, there is an increasing demand for esthetic correction with filler injections. Understanding the anatomy of the angular artery (AA) and facial artery (FA) around the NLF region is essential for ensuring the safety of dermal filler injections into the NLF. The purpose of this study was to provide detailed vascular anatomical information on the course and depth of AA and FA around NLF using Doppler ultrasound on live cases. FA was observed from the origin level adjacent to the mandible corpus to the end of its terminal branch AA in 168 hemifaces of 84 cases with Doppler ultrasonography. We made a classification of the FA course based on the NLF. The minimum and maximum depths of the FA along its course were measured in 84 cases. The results showed that its course may be highly superficial (2.5mm at the mandibular origin, 3.7mm at the cheilion, 3.7mm at the nasal ala) or it may follow a very deep course near the periosteum (15.0mm at the mandibular origin, 18.7mm at the cheilion, 23.5mm at the nasal ala). FA depth was varied between 5.98mm and 6.62mm at the mandibular origin, between 8.36mm and 9.20mm at the cheilion, between 9.52mm and 10.51mm at the nasal ala at a 95% confidence interval. This study suggests that there is no absolutely safe depth or region for nasolabial fold filler injections.

Anomalous Course of Facial Artery Through the Submandibular Gland and its Redundant Loop at the Base of Mandible.

Knowledge of variant course and branching pattern of the facial artery gains importance in the surgeries of upper neck and face. The authors report a unilateral anomalous course and a redundant loop of right facial artery as seen in an adult male cadaver. The right facial artery had its origin from the external carotid artery. It pierced through the submandibular salivary gland and formed a redundant loop at the base of the mandible. Its further course and branching pattern was normal. This case could be important for radiologists, plastic surgeons and craniofacial surgeons.

The Reverse-Flow Facial Artery Buccinator Flap for Skull Base Reconstruction: Key Anatomical and Technical Considerations.

Objective To highlight key anatomical and technical considerations for facial artery identification, and harvest and transposition of the facial artery buccinator (FAB) flap to facilitate its future use in anterior skull base reconstruction. Only a few studies have evaluated the reverse-flow FAB flap for skull base defects. Design Eight FAB flaps were raised in four cadaveric heads and divided into thirds; the facial artery's course at the superior and inferior borders of the flap was measured noting in which incisional third of the flap it laid. The flap's reach to the anterior cranial fossa, sella turcica, clival recess, and contralateral cribriform plate were studied. A clinical case and operative video are also presented. Results The facial artery had a near vertical course and stayed with the middle (⅝) or posterior third (⅜) of the flap in the inferior and superior incisions. Seven of eight flaps covered the sellar/planar regions. Only four of eight flaps covered the contralateral cribriform region. Lastly, none reached the middle third of the clivus. Conclusions The FAB flap requires an understanding of the facial artery's course, generally seen in the middle third of the flap, and is an appropriate alternative for sellar/planar and ipsilateral cribriform defects.

Preservation of the Facial Artery during Submandibular Gland Resection: Preoperative Sonographic Assessment of Facial Artery

Received March 3, 2015 Revised April 17, 2015 Accepted May 1, 2015 Address for correspondence Dong Jin Lee, MD, PhD Department of OtorhinolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, 1 Singil-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul 150-950, Korea Tel +82-2-829-5216 Fax +82-2-842-5217 E-mail djlee@hallym.or.kr Background and ObjectivesZZThe traditional surgical method for submandibular gland resection includes ligation of facial artery. In this study, we used ultrasound preoperatively and tried to preserve the facial artery if facial artery passed on an extra-glandular course with a glandular branch. Subjects and MethodZZPatients undergoing submandibular gland resection either because of submandibular gland tumor or submandibular gland stone were prospectively included. Preoperative sonographic assessment was done to evaluate the intra-glandular or extra-glandular course of facial artery. For the cases with extra-glandular course with a glandular branch of facial artery, we tried to preserve facial artery by ligation of the glandular branch. ResultsZZA total of 34 cases were included in this study. Among them, 6 cases (17%) hadfacial artery passing on an extraglandular course with glandular branching. For these 6 cases, we easily could find the facial artery and glandular branch in the operative field and were able to preserve the facial artery. For the remaining 28 cases, however, the facial artery penetrated through the submandibular gland, thus we opted for the ligation of facial artery rather than preserving it to minimize bleeding or trauma during the surgery. There were no statistic difference between two groups with respect to clinical and surgical variables. ConclusionZZExtra-glandular course of facial artery was easily assessed by preoperative ultrasound. In those cases, we could preserve facial artery easily without bleeding or trauma to the submandibular gland by ligation of glandular branch. As facial artery is animportant vessel for reconstruction and facial rejuvenation, it is preferable to preserve this artery if the course of this artery makes it possible to preserve. Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg 2015;58(8):558-62

Variant Facial Artery in the Submandibular Region

Facial artery has been considered to be the most important vascular pedicle in facial rejuvenation procedures and submandibular gland (SMG) resection. It usually arises from the external carotid artery and passes from the carotid to digastric triangle, deep to the posterior belly of digastric muscle, and lodges in a groove at the posterior end of the SMG. It then passes between SMG and the mandible to reach the face after winding around the base of the mandible. During a routine dissection, in a 62-year-old female cadaver, in Kasturba Medical College Mangalore, an unusual pattern in the cervical course of facial artery was revealed. The right facial artery was found to pierce the whole substance of the SMG before winding around the lower border of the mandible to enter the facial region. Awareness of existence of such a variant and its comparison to the normal anatomy will be useful to oral and maxillofacial surgeons.