Facial artery

At a glance

English

Facial artery

Latin (TA2)

Arteria facialis

System

Artery

Region

Head

Side

Paired, left and right

About the facial artery

The facial artery, called the external maxillary artery in older books, is the main artery of the superficial face. It arises from the front of the external carotid artery in the carotid triangle, just above the lingual artery and under cover of the angle of the mandible; the two sometimes share a common linguofacial trunk.

Its course has a cervical and a facial part. In the neck it runs upwards and forwards deep to the posterior belly of digastric and stylohyoid, lying on the middle and superior pharyngeal constrictors; at the top of its loop only the superior constrictor separates it from the palatine tonsil. It then arches down through a groove in the back of the submandibular gland and turns up over the lower border of the mandible at the front edge of masseter, where its pulse can be felt. On the face it runs obliquely towards the angle of the mouth, deep to platysma, risorius and zygomaticus major and on buccinator and levator anguli oris, then climbs beside the nose to end at the medial angle of the eye as the angular artery. The facial vein follows a straighter path behind it, and facial nerve branches pass across its surface. The artery is markedly tortuous, so it can stretch with swallowing and with movements of the jaw and lips.

In the neck it gives the ascending palatine artery, a tonsillar branch, glandular branches to the submandibular gland and the submental artery. On the face it gives the inferior and superior labial arteries, which encircle the mouth, and a lateral nasal branch, before ending as the angular artery. Its territory includes the muscles of facial expression around the mouth and nose, the soft palate muscles, mylohyoid, styloglossus and the skin of much of the face.

It forms many anastomoses: with its fellow across the lips, with the dorsal nasal branch of the ophthalmic artery at the eye, and with the infra-orbital and transverse facial arteries. The labial arteries are the main source of bleeding from cut lips, and the tonsillar branch is the main concern when tonsils are removed. The artery can be cut in operations on the jaw and neck and then bleeds briskly. Its reliable course makes it a common source of flaps in facial reconstruction.

Course and supply

Arises from

Anterior surface of the external carotid artery in the carotid triangle, just above the lingual artery.

Ends in

Ends at the medial angle of the eye as the angular artery, after giving labial and nasal branches.

Supplies

Supplies the tonsil, soft palate, submandibular gland, the skin and muscles of the lips, cheek and side of the nose, and the chin and floor of the mouth via the submental artery.