Quick Facts
Origin: Facial artery.
Course: Along the margin of the lower lip.
Branches: None.
Supplied Structures: Superior labial glands, mucous membranes, and upper part of orbicularis oris muscle and associated muscle, nose.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The superior labial artery arises from the facial artery as it passes the angle of the mouth. It is much larger and more tortuous than the inferior labial artery.
Course
The superior labial artery passes anterosuperiorly, coursing along the margin of the upper lip, between the orbicularis oris and the mucous membrane of the lip.
Branches
The superior labial artery provides a nasal septal branch to the nose. Additionally, when the facial artery is deficient, the superior labial artery may provide arterial supply to the nose via alar branches (Standring, 2016).
Supplied Structures
The superior labial artery supplies the superior labial glands, overlying mucosa, upper part of orbicularis oris, zygomaticus major and minor, depressor septi nasi, levator anguli oris, levator labii superioris alaeque nasi, levator labii superioris, nasalis, and risorius, and nasal septum (Netter, 2011).
References
Netter, F. H. (2011) Atlas of Human Anatomy. Saunders/Elsevier.
Standring, S. (2016) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Gray's Anatomy Series 41 edn.: Elsevier Limited.
Learn more about this topic from other Elsevier products
Superior Labial Artery
Gillies Fan Flap: Fan-shaped rotational advancement flap based on the superior labial artery and designed for large defects involving greater than 50% of the lower lip.
