The anterior tympanic artery (glaserian artery) is a branch of (the mandibular part of) the

maxillary artery The maxillary artery (eg, internal maxillary artery) supplies deep structures of the face. It branches from the external carotid artery just deep to the neck of the mandible. Structure The maxillary artery, the larger of the two terminal branches ...

. It passes through the

petrotympanic fissure The petrotympanic fissure (also known as the squamotympanic fissure or the glaserian fissure) is a fissure in the temporal bone that runs from the temporomandibular joint to the tympanic cavity. The mandibular fossa is bounded, in front, by the ...

to entre the middle ear where it contributes to the formation of the circular anastomosis around the

tympanic membrane In the anatomy of humans and various other tetrapods, the eardrum, also called the tympanic membrane or myringa, is a thin, cone-shaped membrane that separates the external ear from the middle ear. Its function is to transmit changes in pressur ...

. It provides arterial supply to part of the lining of the

middle ear The middle ear is the portion of the ear medial to the eardrum, and distal to the oval window of the cochlea (of the inner ear). The mammalian middle ear contains three ossicles (malleus, incus, and stapes), which transfer the vibrations ...

. It is accompanied by the

chorda tympani nerve Chorda tympani is a branch of the facial nerve that carries gustatory (taste) sensory innervation from the front of the tongue and parasympathetic ( secretomotor) innervation to the submandibular and sublingual salivary glands. Chorda tympani ...

Anatomy

Course and anastomoses

It passes upward behind the

temporomandibular articulation In anatomy, the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) are the two joints connecting the jawbone to the skull. It is a bilateral synovial articulation between the temporal bone of the skull above and the condylar process of mandible below; it is fro ...

, enters the

tympanic cavity The tympanic cavity is a small cavity surrounding the bones of the middle ear. Within it sit the ossicles, three small bones that transmit vibrations used in the detection of sound. Structure On its lateral surface, it abuts the external audit ...

through the

, and ramifies upon the

, forming a vascular circle around the membrane with the stylomastoid branch of the posterior auricular, and anastomosing with the

artery of the pterygoid canal The artery of the pterygoid canal (or Vidian artery) is an artery in the pterygoid canal, in the head. It usually arises from the external carotid artery, but can arise from either the internal or external carotid artery or serve as an anastomosis ...

and with the caroticotympanic branch from the

internal carotid The internal carotid artery is an artery in the neck which supplies the anterior and middle cerebral circulation. In human anatomy, the internal and external carotid arise from the common carotid artery, where it bifurcates at cervical verteb ...

References

External links

* () * * Arteries of the head and neck {{circulatory-stub