Anatomical study of the maxillary artery at the pterygomaxillary fissure in a Thai population: its relationship to maxillary osteotomy.

Background: The maxillary artery (MA) and its terminal branches are commonly damaged in the maxillary osteotomy, especially during separation of the pterygomaxillary junction (PMJ).

Objective: To evaluate the positional relationship between the MA at the pterygomaxillary fissure (PMF) and the PMJ in Thais, as well as to measure the diameter of the MA as it enters the pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) and the heights of PMJ, maxillary tuberosity and posterior maxilla.

Subjects And Method: Both sides of 100 Thai adult cadavers (50 males and 50 females) were examined The mean age of the subjects was 64.