The infraorbital vein is a vein that drains structures of the floor of the orbit. It arises on the face and passes backwards through the orbit alongside

infraorbital artery The infraorbital artery is an artery in the head that branches off the maxillary artery, emerging through the infraorbital foramen, just under the orbit of the eye. Course The infraorbital artery appears, from its direction, to be the continu ...

and

nerve A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons) in the peripheral nervous system. A nerve transmits electrical impulses. It is the basic unit of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the ...

, exiting the orbit through the

inferior orbital fissure The inferior orbital fissure is formed by the sphenoid bone and the maxilla. It is located posteriorly along the boundary of the floor and lateral wall of the orbit. It transmits a number of structures, including: * the zygomatic branch of the ...

to drain into the

pterygoid venous plexus The pterygoid plexus (;Entry "pterygoid"
in

Anatomy

Origin

The infraorbital vein arises on the face by the union of several tributaries.

Course and relations

Accompanied by the

and the

infraorbital nerve The infraorbital nerve is a branch of the maxillary nerve, itself a branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V). It travels through the orbit and enters the infraorbital canal to exit onto the face through the infraorbital foramen. It provides sensory ...

, it passes posteriorly through the

infraorbital foramen In human anatomy, the infraorbital foramen is one of two small holes in the skull's upper jawbone ( maxillary bone), located below the eye socket and to the left and right of the nose. Both holes are used for blood vessels and nerves. In anatomic ...

infraorbital canal The infraorbital canal is a canal found at the base of the orbit that opens on to the maxilla. It is continuous with the infraorbital groove and opens onto the maxilla at the infraorbital foramen. The infraorbital nerve and infraorbital artery ...

, and

infraorbital groove The infraorbital groove (or sulcus) is located in the middle of the posterior part of the orbital surface of the maxilla. Its function is to act as the passage of the infraorbital artery, the infraorbital vein, and the infraorbital nerve. Stru ...

. It exits the orbit through the

to drain into the

pterygoid venous plexus The pterygoid plexus (;Entry "pterygoid"
in

Distribution

The infraorbital vein drains structures of the floor of the orbit; receives tributaries from structures that lie close to the floor of the orbit.

Anastomoses

The infraorbital vein communicates with the

inferior ophthalmic vein The inferior ophthalmic vein is a vein of the orbit that - together with the superior ophthalmic vein - represents the principal drainage system of the orbit. It begins from a venous network in the front of the orbit, then passes backwards throu ...

. It may sometimes additionally also communicate with the facial vein on the face.

References

{{Reflist Anatomy