I204 



A MANUAL OF ANATOMY 



artery usually gives off the small meningeal artery, which enters 

 the cranial cavity through the foramen ovale. 



The inferior dental artery arises nearly opposite the middle 

 meningeal artery, and descends upon the spheno-mandibular liga- 

 ment in company with the inferior dental nerve, lying on its pos- 

 terior and outer side. Having reached the inferior dental foramen, 

 it gives off the small mylo-hyoid artery, and then it passes through 

 the inferior dental foramen and enters the inferior dental canal 

 which it traverses as far as the level of the mental foramen, where 



Posterior Division of Middle 

 Meningeal 



Anterior Division of 

 ,.- Middle Meningeal 



Posterior Deep 

 Temporal 



Anterior Deep 

 \^ Temporal 



Infra-orbital 



Superficial 



Temporal TW V" 

 Deep Auricular. \ '^ \, 



Tympanic. — -V" 

 Internal Maxillary--' 



External Carotid/ 



Inferior Dental ' 



Pterygoid 

 Mental 



^Middle Meningeal 

 giving off 

 Small Meningeal 



Fig. 492. — The Internal Maxillary Artery and its Branches. 

 (The Ramus of the Mandible and one half of the Calvaria liave been removed). 

 I. External pterygoid muscle. 2. Internal pterygoid muscle. 



it ends by dividing into its mental and incisor branches. Within 

 the inferior dental canal the artery is accompanied by the inferior 

 dental nerve and inferior dental vein. 



Branches. — ^The mylo-hyoid artery, of small size, arises at the 

 level of the inferior dental foramen. In company with the mylo- 

 hyoid nerve it pierces the spheno-mandibular ligament, and descends 

 in the mylo-hyoid groove to be distributed to the under surface of 

 the mylo-hyoid muscle. The molar, bicuspid, and canine branches 

 arise within the inferior dental canal, and supply the pulps of these 

 teeth, which they reach by passing through the foramina on the 

 extremities of their fangs. The mental artery emerges from the 



