Quick Facts
Origin: Formed by the union of incisive and mental veins.
Course: Travels through the mandibular canal to exit the mandibular foramen and enters the infratemporal fossa.
Tributaries: Incisive and mental veins.
Drainage: Lower jaw and teeth.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The inferior alveolar vein is formed by the union of incisive and mental veins.
Course
The inferior alveolar vein ascends within the mandibular canal, along with its arterial and nervous counterparts. It exits the mandibular foramen and enters the infratemporal fossa. Here, it passes between the sphenomandibular ligament and the ramus of the mandible to ascend behind the lateral pterygoid muscle.
Tributaries
The inferior alveolar vein receives the incisive and mental veins.
Structures Drained
The inferior alveolar vein drains the lower jaw and teeth into the maxillary vein inside the infratemporal fossa.
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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.
