ARTERIAL ANATOMY OF THE ORAL CAVITY - AN ANALYSIS OF VASCULAR TERRITORIES

Knowledge of the specific cutaneous or surface regions supplied by con stant named arterial sources has allowed for increasing clinical appli cation of flap transfers of tissue. Despite the routine use of intraor al flaps for reconstruction of congenital or acquired defects of the o ral cavity and pharynx, no previous investigation has centered on unde rstanding the surface or mucosal arterial territories of the oral cavi ty. in a cadaver study, six mucosal territories of the intraoral cavit y were defined using selective ink and lead oxide injections through n amed arteries. The anatomical boundaries of these territories are pred ictable and constant in location for different cadavers. The six conti guous territories are based on the buccal, labial, inferior alveolar, ascending palatine, ascending pharyngeal, and lingual arteries. This s tudy supports the safe vascular basis of existing-clinical procedures of the intraoral cavity and ma!: have implications for the design of n ew intraoral reconstructive procedures.