Sphenopalatine artery

Sphenopalatine artery
Plan of branches of internal maxillary artery. (Sphenopalatine visible in upper right.)
Details
Source	maxillary artery
Branches	posterior lateral nasal branches posterior septal branches
Supplies	frontal, maxillary, ethmoidal, and sphenoidal sinuses
Identifiers
Latin	arteria sphenopalatina
Dorlands /Elsevier	a_61/12155995
TA	A12.2.05.088
FMA	49804
Anatomical terminology []

The sphenopalatine artery (nasopalatine artery) is an artery of the head, commonly known as the artery of epistaxis.

The sphenopalatine artery is a branch of the maxillary artery which passes through the sphenopalatine foramen into the cavity of the nose, at the back part of the superior meatus. Here it gives off its posterior lateral nasal branches.

Crossing the under surface of the sphenoid, the sphenopalatine artery ends on the nasal septum as the posterior septal branches. Here it will anastomose with the branches of the greater palatine artery.

The sphenopalatine artery is the artery responsible for the most serious, posterior nosebleeds (also known as epistaxis). It can be ligated surgically to control such nosebleeds.

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)