In human anatomy, the stapedial branch of
posterior auricular artery, or stapedial artery for short, is a small artery supplying the
stapedius muscle in the
inner ear
The inner ear (internal ear, auris interna) is the innermost part of the vertebrate ear. In vertebrates, the inner ear is mainly responsible for sound detection and balance. In mammals, it consists of the bony labyrinth, a hollow cavity in the ...
.
Structure
In humans
In humans, the stapedial artery is normally present in the
fetus
A fetus or foetus (; : fetuses, foetuses, rarely feti or foeti) is the unborn offspring of a viviparous animal that develops from an embryo. Following the embryonic development, embryonic stage, the fetal stage of development takes place. Pren ...
where it connects what is to become the
external and
internal carotid arteries.
Part of the carotid artery system, it originates from the dorsal branch of
aortic arch. Its superior supraorbital branch becomes the
middle meningeal artery
The middle meningeal artery (') is typically the third branch of the maxillary artery#First portion, first portion of the maxillary artery. After branching off the maxillary artery in the infratemporal fossa, it runs through the foramen spinosum t ...
, while its infraorbital and mandibular branches fuses with the external carotid artery and later become the
internal 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 branche ...
. Its trunk atrophies and is replaced by branches from the external carotid artery.
In rare cases, the embryonic structure is still present after birth in which case it is referred to as a
persistent stapedial artery (PSA).
While the prevalence of this anomaly is unknown, it has been estimated to be present in 1 of 5,000 people.
In other mammals
Structures homologous to the stapedial artery in humans and other
primates can be derived from a primitive, hypothetical pattern similar to that found in primitive rodents: the stapedial artery enters the
middle cranial fossa and splits into the anterior and inferior divisions of the superior ramus and the inferior ramus. The inferior ramus has been lost in
strepsirhines while the stem of the stapedial artery has been reduced in
haplorhines.
Notes
References
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{{Authority control
Arteries of the head and neck