Quick Facts
Origin: Union of small veins around the mental region.
Course: Passes through the mental foramen and combines with an incisive branch to ascend as the inferior alveolar vein inside the mandibular canal.
Tributaries: None.
Drainage: Facial muscles in the mental region and overlying subcutaneous tissues.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The mental vein forms from a small network of superficial veins over the mental protuberance.
Course
The mental vein passes through the mental foramen to enter the mandible. Here, it combines with an incisive branch to form the inferior alveolar nerve, which ascends inside the mandibular canal.
Tributaries
There are no named tributaries.
Structures Drained
The mental vein drains the facial muscles in the mental region and the overlying subcutaneous tissues.
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Vein
A venous sinus is a vein with a thin wall of endothelium that is devoid of smooth muscle to regulate its diameter.
