The submental artery is the largest branch of the

facial artery The facial artery, formerly called the external maxillary artery, is a branch of the external carotid artery that supplies blood to superficial structures of the medial regions of the face. Structure The facial artery arises in the carotid t ...

in the neck. It first runs forward under the mouth, then turns upward upon reaching the chin.

Anatomy

Origin

The submental artery is the largest branch of the

in the neck. It arises from the facial artery just as the facial artery splits the

submandibular gland The paired submandibular glands (historically known as submaxillary glands) are major salivary glands located beneath the floor of the mouth. In adult humans, they each weigh about 15 grams and contribute some 60–67% of unstimulated saliva sec ...

Course and distribution

The artery passes anterior-ward upon the

mylohyoid muscle The mylohyoid muscle or diaphragma oris is a paired muscle of the neck. It runs from the Human mandible, mandible to the hyoid bone, forming the floor of the oral cavity of the human mouth, mouth. It is named after its two attachments near the mo ...

, coursing inferior to the body of the

mandible In jawed vertebrates, the mandible (from the Latin ''mandibula'', 'for chewing'), lower jaw, or jawbone is a bone that makes up the lowerand typically more mobilecomponent of the mouth (the upper jaw being known as the maxilla). The jawbone i ...

and deep to the

digastric muscle The digastric muscle (also digastricus) (named ''digastric'' as it has two 'bellies') is a bilaterally paired suprahyoid muscle located under the jaw. Its posterior belly is attached to the mastoid notch of temporal bone, and its anterior belly ...

. Here, the artery supplies adjacent muscles and skin; it also forms anastomoses with the sublingual artery and with the mylohyoid branch of the inferior alveolar artery. Upon reaching the chin, artery turns superior-ward at the

mandibular symphysis In human anatomy, the facial skeleton of the skull the external surface of the mandible is marked in the median line by a faint ridge, indicating the mandibular symphysis (Latin: ''symphysis menti'') or line of junction where the two lateral ha ...

to pass over the mandible before dividing into a superficial branch and a deep branch; the two terminal branches are distributed to the chin and lower lip, and form anastomoses with the inferior labial and mental arteries.

Distribution

Branches

* The ''superficial branch'' passes between the integument and

depressor labii inferioris The depressor labii inferioris (or quadratus labii inferioris) is a facial muscle. It helps to lower the bottom lip. Structure The depressor labii inferioris muscle arises from the lateral surface of the mandible. This is below the mental for ...

, and anastomoses with the

inferior labial artery The inferior labial artery (inferior labial branch of facial artery) arises near the angle of the mouth as a branch of the facial artery; it passes upward and forward beneath the triangularis and, penetrating the orbicularis oris, runs in a tortuo ...

. * The ''deep branch'' runs between the muscle and the bone, supplies the lip, and anastomoses with the

and the mental branch of the inferior alveolar artery.

Additional images

File:Gray507.png, Superficial dissection of the right side of the neck, showing the carotid and subclavian arteries. File:Slide1fff.JPG, Submental artery File:Slide4hhh.JPG, Submental artery

References

{{Authority control Arteries of the head and neck