title: The Facial Artery-The Main Blood Vessel for the Anterior Face?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The facial artery is said to be the main vessel for the blood supply of the anterior face. However, its course is quite often not as described in the textbooks.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to find out the different courses of the facial artery, its anastomoses, and its position in relation to the fat compartments of the face.
  
  
  METHODS
  With 60 hemifaces three-dimensional reconstructions with computed tomography, cross dissections and horizontal sections were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of note, 4 types of facial arteries were identified. Not even half of the specimens showed a textbook course of the facial artery and only a quarter of the specimens had a textbook course of the artery on both sides.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To know the different appearances of the facial artery can be helpful for filler injection in aesthetic medicine but also for planning flaps in reconstructive surgery.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Macroscopic and Clinical Anatomy, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pilsl
authors.forename: Friedrich
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Anderhuber
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Neugebauer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001158:Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002102:Cadaver; D003357:Cosmetic Techniques; D005145:Face / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D012016:Reference Values; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed