Bruner, Emiliano

Colaiacomo, Barbara

Mantini, Simone

Ripani, Maurizio

Firenze University Press: E-Journals

IJAE Vol. 115, n. 1/2 (Supplement), 2010
101
The anatomical variability and the functional role of 
the middle meningeal artery
Simone Mantini1, Emiliano Bruner2, Barbara Colaiacomo1, Maurizio Ripani3
1 Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Roma Foro Italico, Italy 
2 Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca s/n 09002, Burgos
The middle meningeal artery is one of the main component of the dural vascular 
networks, covering the parietal, temporal and part of the frontal meningeal regions. 
Usually it arises from the maxillary branch of the external carotid artery and enters 
the middle cranial fossa trough the foramen spinosum. Here it passes into the menin-
geal layers and divides in two principal branches from which arise minor vessels which 
form a complex vascular network between the cortical brain surface and the endocra-
nial wall. Anatomical studies suggest that the middle meningeal artery shows a high 
anatomical variability both in terms of origin and branching patterns. Furthermore it’s 
functional role and the relations with the other encephalic circular network are not thor-
oughly clear. Tri-dimensional angiotomography reconstructions can provide interest-
ing insights in this sense. In most individuals the middle meningeal artery cannot be 
segmented because the contrast enters only in the basal portion of the network. As a 
consequence the upper and middle parts of the meningeal vessel are not visible, while 
the traces of the channels can be easily recognised on the endocranial wall. These results 
suggest a scarce, discontinuous or absent blood flow, possibly associated with functions 
restricted to specific physiological situations or even closure of the vessels by connec-
tive/fat tissues. When it can be visualised, the tri-dimensional reconstructions suggest 
punctual contacts between the middle meningeal vessels and the middle cerebral artery, 
which run laterally, share a short tract with the middle meningeal artery and than came 
back into the encephalic tissues. On the other hand it is impossible to visualize eventual 
connections between the meningeal network and the diploic and extra-cranial vessels. 
The functional role of this complex vascular network could be interpreted both in terms 
of metabolic and biomechanical adaptations. The former is associated with oxygenation 
and thermoregulation of the meningeal layers, the second with a protection role of the 
vessels which act as a hydrodynamic skeleton. Nevertheless, because of the lack of large 
anatomical comparative database and taking in account the limits of the angiotoma-
griphic reconstructions, these results should be considered as preliminary. Information 
on the anatomical variations of these vessels is needed to support useful hypotheses in 
vascular biomedicine and neurosurgery, as well as in human evolution.
Key words
Angiotomography, meningeal vascular network, endocranial anatomy


The anatomical variability and the functional role of the middle meningeal artery

http://www.fupress.net/index.php/ijae/article/download/8863/8248

The anatomical variability and the functional role of the middle meningeal artery

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Firenze University Press: E-Journals