Supraorbital Artery

Description

Arising from the ophthalmic artery, the supraorbital artery exits the orbit through the supraorbital notch or foramen at the superior orbital margin, then courses superiorly and slightly laterally across the frontal bone to arborize within the forehead and anterior scalp. Distal branches run deep to the frontalis before becoming more superficial as they ascend, where they travel with the supraorbital nerve and approach the midline to anastomose with the supratrochlear artery. Surrounding context includes the orbicularis oculi encircling the palpebral fissure, the temporalis occupying the temporal fossa lateral to the orbit, and the masseter over the mandibular ramus inferiorly. Small-caliber arterioles and accompanying superficial veins form a recognizable vascular network over the forehead. Forehead vascular anatomy is where surface landmarks and operative planes collide. The supraorbital artery is a frequent source of bleeding in forehead lacerations near the supraorbital rim, and its intimate relationship with the supraorbital nerve explains why injections or traumatic swelling in this corridor can produce sharp dysesthesia radiating to the vertex. In aesthetic surgery and procedural dermatology, this pathway defines a high-risk zone for filler embolization with retrograde flow into the ophthalmic circulation, a mechanism implicated in rare but catastrophic vision loss. Knowing where the vessel becomes superficial matters. Plastic surgery texts, ophthalmology references, and emergency medicine teaching files can all use this view to correlate the supraorbital notch/foramen with the expected course of the artery during brow lifts, endoscopic forehead approaches, and regional anesthesia (supraorbital nerve block). Anatomy faculty will also find it suited to head and neck modules that pair facial expression musculature with named scalp vessels for surface anatomy examinations. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.