Anatomy Arteries Print The Anatomy of the Middle Meningeal Artery The artery that supplies blood to the meninges of the brain Medically reviewed by facebook linkedin Medically reviewed by Richard N. Fogoros, MD on July 28, 2019 Richard N. Fogoros, MD, is a retired professor of medicine and board-certified internal medicine physician and cardiologist. He is Verywell's Senior Medical Advisor. Learn about our Medical Review Board Richard N. Fogoros, MD Written by linkedin Written by Mark Gurarie Mark Gurarie is a freelance writer, editor, and adjunct lecturer of writing composition at George Washington University. Learn about our editorial policy Mark Gurarie Updated on November 20, 2019 More in Anatomy Arteries Veins Nerves Muscles Bones In This Article Table of Contents Expand Anatomy Function Clinical Significance View All Back To Top One of two terminal branches of the internal carotid artery, the middle meningeal artery is a major source of blood for the brain and cranium. It arises behind the condylar process of the mandible, or jawbone, and passes through the foramen spinosium, an opening in the back of the skull. From there, its branches supply the meninges, the three protective layers that surround the brain, as well as the calvaria or skull cap. Since it serves such an important function, disorders or injury to this artery can be very dangerous, leading to conditions such as epidural hematoma (a pooling of blood between the skull and the membrane that covers the brain, called the dura mater) and aneurysm (ballooning of the artery), as well as migraine headache and others. Anatomy The middle meningeal artery arises at the intracranial fossa—a cavity on the side of the cranium—where it branches off from the maxillary artery which is connected to the external carotid artery, an important source of blood to the brain. From there, it moves upwards and accesses the inside of the skull via the foramen spinosium at the rear. It then courses forward through the dura mater, the outermost layer of the meninges, via a groove on the great wing of the sphenoid bone, a bone on either side of the cranium. At that point, the artery splits into two branches: anterior and posterior. The larger of the two is the anterior branch. This branch crosses the sphenoid’s great wing reaching the groove of the parietal bone, which makes up the central and upper back portions of each side of the cranium. The posterior branch, meanwhile, curves back toward the temporal bone, located at the side and toward the back of the skull, before reaching the back portions of the parietal bone. Anatomical Variations While rare, there are a number of anatomical variations of this artery. In some cases, the usual point of entry for the middle meningeal artery, the foramen spinosium, is absent. In this case, the artery accesses the cranium via the structure called the foramen ovale alongside the mandibular (jawbone) nerve. The middle meningeal artery can also emerge at the lateral part of the internal carotid artery—a major source of blood for parts of the brain—therefore accessing the cranium through the foramen lacerum (a triangular opening at the base of the skull) before resuming a normal course. Furthermore, the origin of the artery has been observed at the posterior cerebellar artery, the basilar artery, the ophthalmic artery, and other arteries of the head. Function As a major supplier of blood to the membranes and structures surrounding the brain, the middle meningeal artery certainly serves an essential role. The anterior branch of the middle meningeal artery is primarily tasked with providing blood to the dura mater as well as the interior of the cranium. The posterior branch supplements this by supplying the rear portions of the dura mater and cranium. Branches of this part of the circulatory system also help supply the facial nerve and the tensor tympani muscle in the ear canal. Clinical Significance Traumas or conditions affecting the middle meningeal artery cause a number of well-documented and potentially serious conditions. Epidural Hematoma Because of proximity to the boney vault of the skull—the interior portion of the cranium—skull fracture at the side can severely impact the artery and cause ruptures. Oftentimes during childhood or adolescents, epidural hematoma, which is basically a pooling of blood outside of the veins, results. This leads first to a loss of consciousness, followed by a period of lucidity and clarity, before a rapid deterioration of brain health. In more severe cases, surgery is required to repair the artery. Arteriovenous Fistula Another result of skull fracture, an arteriovenous fistula, is defined as abnormal connections between arteries. While this happens relatively often, in a vast majority of cases the condition is not symptomatic and resolves on its own. However, if this condition lasts for a long time, intracranial hemorrhage (bleeding within the brain) or venous congestion (when more blood enters an artery than can leave) arise; these require medical attention. Aneurysm Though this doesn’t occur too often in the middle meningeal artery, an aneurysm is a pooling of blood causing ballooning of a part of the artery. An aneurysm can arise due to trauma to the skull, leading to rupture of the vessel and clotting in the area. Alternately, this can arise due to specific factors associated with the artery. In both cases, the aneurysm increases risk of rupture leading to intracranial hemorrhage. Migraine Researchers have also linked the middle meningeal artery to migraine, the onset of severe headache, nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and other issues. This is because of the artery’s role in supplying the dura mater, which is associated with pain sensation. Notably, the dilation of this arterial system leads to headaches, so pain can be managed with medications that contract the area. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial policy to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. MedlinePlus. Epidural hematoma. Updated July 9, 2018. Perinjelil V, Maraqa T, Chavez Yenter A, et al. Traumatic arteriovenous fistula formation secondary to crush injury. J Surg Case Rep. 2018;2018(9):rjy240. doi:10.1093/jscr/rjy240 Burstein R, Noseda R, Borsook D. Migraine: multiple processes, complex pathophysiology. J Neurosci. 2015;35(17):6619-29. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0373-15.2015 Additional Reading Caceres JA, Goldstein JN. Intracranial hemorrhage. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2012;30(3):771-94. doi:10.1016/j.emc.2012.06.003 Dupont M, Mullens W, Tang WH. Impact of systemic venous congestion in heart failure. Curr Heart Fail Rep. 2011;8(4):233-41. doi:10.1007/s11897-011-0071-7 Natali A, Leo J. Neuroanatomy, middle meningeal arteries. StatPearls Publishing. Updated October 27, 2018. Yu J, Guo Y, Xu B, Xu K. Clinical importance of the middle meningeal artery: A review of the literature. Int J Med Sci. 2016;13(10):790-799. doi:10.7150/ijms.16489 Continue Reading