Middle Meningeal Artery, Inferior View

Description

Arising from the maxillary artery in the infratemporal fossa, the middle meningeal artery is traced as it passes superiorly through the foramen spinosum to enter the middle cranial fossa and course between periosteal dura and the inner table of the temporal and parietal bones. From an inferior skull base perspective, adjacent landmarks would include the foramen ovale (with the mandibular nerve, V3, passing anteromedial to the foramen spinosum), the spine of the sphenoid, and the infratemporal surface of the greater wing of the sphenoid. Lateral and posterior branching across the calvarial dura is suggested by the characteristic anterior and posterior divisions radiating away from the foramen spinosum. Key relationships. Tight quarters. This angle matters because it ties the extracranial source vessel to its intracranial dural distribution, the step that explains why laceration of the middle meningeal artery can follow fractures at the pterion and produce an epidural (extradural) hematoma with a classic lucid interval. Surgeons also care about the artery’s proximity to V3, the otic ganglion region, and the small meningeal branch of the mandibular nerve, particularly when working around the infratemporal fossa or during exposure of the foramen spinosum. For endovascular teams, the maxillary origin clarifies potential anastomoses with the ophthalmic and internal carotid systems that shape embolization strategy for meningioma or chronic subdural hematoma. Neuroanatomy and head and neck anatomy courses can use this plate to teach skull base foramina by contents, not by rote. It also suits neurosurgery and neuroradiology publications discussing epidural hematoma mechanisms, meningeal vessel embolization, or operative corridors to the infratemporal fossa and middle cranial fossa floor. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.