The anterior ethmoidal artery is a branch of the

ophthalmic artery The ophthalmic artery (OA) is an artery of the head. It is the first branch of the internal carotid artery distal to the cavernous sinus. Branches of the ophthalmic artery supply all the structures in the orbit around the eye, as well as some st ...

in the orbit. It exits the orbit through the

anterior ethmoidal foramen The anterior ethmoidal foramen is a small opening in the ethmoid bone in the skull. Lateral to either olfactory groove are the internal openings of the anterior and posterior ethmoidal foramina (or canals). The anterior ethmoidal foramen, situa ...

. The

posterior ethmoidal artery The posterior ethmoidal artery is an artery of the head which supplies the nasal septum. It is smaller than the anterior ethmoidal artery. Course Once branching from the ophthalmic artery, it passes between the upper border of the medial rectus mu ...

is posterior to it.

Structure

The anterior ethmoidal artery branches from the ophthalmic artery distal to the posterior ethmoidal artery. It travels with the

anterior ethmoidal nerve The anterior ethmoidal nerve is a nerve of the nose. It is a branch of the nasociliary nerve, itself a branch of the ophthalmic nerve (V1). It provides sensory innervation to some structures around the nasal cavity. Structure The anterior ethm ...

to exit the medial wall of the orbit at the anterior ethmoidal foramen. It then travels through the anterior ethmoidal canal and gives branches which supply the

frontal sinus The frontal sinuses are one of the four pairs of paranasal sinuses that are situated behind the brow ridges. Sinuses are mucosa-lined airspaces within the bones of the face and skull. Each opens into the anterior part of the corresponding middle na ...

and anterior and middle ethmoid air cells. Following which, it enters the

anterior cranial fossa The anterior cranial fossa is a depression in the floor of the cranial base which houses the projecting frontal lobes of the brain. It is formed by the orbital part of frontal bone, orbital plates of the Frontal bone, frontal, the cribriform plate ...

where it bifurcates into a meningeal branch and nasal branch. The nasal branch travels through

cribriform plate In mammalian anatomy, the cribriform plate (Latin for lit. ''sieve-shaped''), horizontal lamina or lamina cribrosa is part of the ethmoid bone. It is received into the ethmoidal notch of the frontal bone and roofs in the nasal cavities. It supp ...

to enter the

nasal cavity The nasal cavity is a large, air-filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face. The nasal septum divides the cavity into two cavities, also known as fossae. Each cavity is the continuation of one of the two nostrils. The nasal c ...

and runs in a groove on the deep surface of the nasal bone. Here it bifurcates into a medial and lateral branch. The lateral branch supplies blood to the lateral wall of the nasal cavity and the medial branch to the

nasal septum The nasal septum () separates the left and right airways of the Human nose, nasal cavity, dividing the two nostrils. It is Depression (kinesiology), depressed by the depressor septi nasi muscle. Structure The fleshy external end of the nasal ...

. A terminal branch of the lateral branch, called the external nasal branch passes between the nasal bone and the nasal cartilage to supply the skin of the

nose A nose is a protuberance in vertebrates that houses the nostrils, or nares, which receive and expel air for respiration alongside the mouth. Behind the nose are the olfactory mucosa and the sinuses. Behind the nasal cavity, air next passes th ...

Branches

*branches to ethmoid air cells and frontal sinus *meningeal branch (supplies some dura mater of anterior cranial fossa, has been called the anterior falx/falcine artery) *nasal branches (travel through cribriform foramina to enter the nasal cavity) **lateral nasal branch (supplies lateral wall of nasal cavity) ***external nasal branch (supplies skin of nose) **medial nasal branch (supplies nasal septum)

References

External links

* () * http://www.dartmouth.edu/~humananatomy/figures/chapter_45/45-6.HTM {{Authority control Arteries of the head and neck

Structure

Branches

See also

References

External links