Scalp Arteries, Anterior View

Description

Arterial branches over the male scalp are presented from an anterior perspective, with the superficial temporal arteries ascending anterior to the auricle and dividing into frontal and parietal rami as they course superiorly within the scalp. Medially, the supratrochlear and supraorbital arteries emerge above the orbital rim, running superiorly across the frontal bone toward the vertex, where they anastomose with temporal and occipital territories. Deep inflow is implied by the common carotid bifurcation in the neck, continuing as the external carotid artery (feeding the superficial temporal and facial systems) and the internal carotid artery, while the skull, orbits, nasal bones, and mandible provide fixed bony landmarks for vessel location. Blue venous counterparts, including superficial scalp veins and the internal jugular vein, track adjacent to the arterial pathways. Anterior mapping of scalp arteries matters because lacerations in the frontotemporal region can bleed briskly, and the dense subcutaneous anastomotic network makes simple compression less effective unless you target a named trunk against bone. Surgeons use these trajectories when planning coronal and temporal incisions, raising a scalp flap, or protecting the superficial temporal artery for microvascular bypass (STA-MCA) and for pedicled flaps. Injury risk clusters where the superficial temporal artery crosses the zygomatic arch and in the brow where supraorbital and supratrochlear branches exit their foramina or notches. Bleeding can be dramatic. Use this illustration in gross anatomy and head and neck surgery teaching to correlate surface landmarks with arterial supply, and in emergency medicine materials on scalp wound hemostasis and vessel ligation points. It also supports neurosurgical and plastic surgery publications discussing incision placement, flap design, and preservation of the superficial temporal pedicle. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.