Artery Tympanic Posterior

The posterior tympanic artery (a. tympanica posterior) is a branch of the external carotid artery that passes through the back of the temporal bone and supplies the eardrum and middle ear.

The posterior tympanic artery is a branch of the common carotid artery (a. carotis communis), which, in turn, is a branch of the external carotid artery. The common carotid artery passes through the neck and enters the skull through the carotid foramen, where it divides into the external and internal carotid arteries. The external carotid artery is divided into two branches: anterior and posterior. The anterior branch runs to the head and supplies the brain, while the posterior branch runs through the neck to the chest and supplies the organs of the neck, including the larynx, pharynx, and esophagus.

The posterior branch of the external carotid artery is called the tympanic artery (a. tubercularis) and passes through the occipital bone to the mastoid process. It is divided into two terminal branches: the superior and inferior tympanic arteries (aa. tympanica superior et inferior). The superior tympanic artery supplies the eardrum, and the inferior tympanic artery supplies the middle ear.

Thus, the posterior tympanic artery is a branch of the external carotid artery that passes through the back of the skull and provides blood supply to the eardrum and middle ear.