Course

It springs from the ophthalmic artery

Ophthalmic artery

The ophthalmic artery is the first branch of the internal carotid artery distal to the cavernous sinus. Branches of the OA supply all the structures in the orbit as well as some structures in the nose, face and meninges...

 as that vessel is crossing over to the medial side of the optic nerve

Optic nerve

The optic nerve, also called cranial nerve 2, transmits visual information from the retina to the brain. Derived from the embryonic retinal ganglion cell, a diverticulum located in the diencephalon, the optic nerve doesn't regenerate after transection.-Anatomy:The optic nerve is the second of...

.

It passes upward on the medial borders of the superior rectus muscle

Superior rectus muscle

The superior rectus muscle is a muscle in the orbit. It is one of the extraocular muscles. It is innervated by the superior division of the oculomotor nerve...

 and levator palpebrae superioris, meeting the supraorbital nerve

Supraorbital nerve

The supraorbital nerve is a terminal branch of the frontal nerve.It passes through the supraorbital foramen, and gives off, in this situation, palpebral filaments to the upper eyelid...

 accompanies it between the roof of the orbit and levator palpebrae superioris to the supraorbital notch

Supraorbital notch

The Supraorbital notch is a small groove at superior and medial margin of the orbit in the frontal bone. The supraorbital nerve passes through this notch prior to dividing into superficial and deep components that provide sensory innervation to the ipsilateral forehead...

.

Branching

When passing through the supraorbital notch it divides into a superficial and a deep branch. Its terminal branches anastomose with branches of the supratrochlear artery

Supratrochlear artery

The supratrochlear artery , one of the terminal branches of the ophthalmic artery, branches off where the ophthalmic travels posterior to the trochlea.-Course:...

 and the superficial temporal arteries.

Supplies

This artery supplies the levator palpebrae superioris, the diploë

Diploë

Diploë refers to the spongy bone structure of the internal part of short, irregular, and flat bones.In the cranial bones, the layers of compact tissue are familiarly known as the tables of the skull; the outer one is thick and tough; the inner is thin, dense, and brittle, and hence is termed the...

 of the frontal bone

Frontal bone

The frontal bone is a bone in the human skull that resembles a cockleshell in form, and consists of two portions:* a vertical portion, the squama frontalis, corresponding with the region of the forehead....

, the frontal sinus

Frontal sinus

Sinuses are mucosa-lined airspaces within the bones of the face and skull. The frontal sinuses, situated behind the superciliary arches, are absent at birth, but are generally fairly well developed between the seventh and eighth years, only reaching their full size after puberty...

, the upper eyelid

Eyelid

An eyelid is a thin fold of skin that covers and protects an eye. With the exception of the prepuce and the labia minora, it has the thinnest skin of the whole body. The levator palpebrae superioris muscle retracts the eyelid to "open" the eye. This can be either voluntarily or involuntarily...

, and the skin of the forehead

Forehead

For the Arsenal striker see GervinhoIn human anatomy, the forehead is the fore part of the head. It is, formally, an area of the head bounded by three features, two of the skull and one of the scalp. The top of the forehead is marked by the hairline, the edge of the area where hair on the scalp...

 and the scalp

Scalp

The scalp is the anatomical area bordered by the face anteriorly and the neck to the sides and posteriorly.-Layers:It is usually described as having five layers, which can conveniently be remembered as a mnemonic:...

.

This artery may be absent in 10% to 20% of individuals.

External links

• http://www.dartmouth.edu/~humananatomy/figures/chapter_47/47-2.HTM