The course of the superficial temporal artery. Anatomic studies as a prerequisite to arterial biopsy

The superficial temporal artery, together with its branches, was dissected in 161 half-heads, and the course of these vessels mapped against a newly-developed grid which can be adapted to conform to the proportions of each individual skull. The practical aim of this investigation was to establish the position of that incision which has the highest probability of being well-placed for taking a biopsy from the frontal branch of the artery. In 86.3% of the authors' specimens it was possible to reach this vessel through a 2.5 cm incision running up-ward and posteriorward at an angle of 45 degrees to the "upper horizontal line" from a point 1-1.5 cm behind the intersection of this line with the "lateral border of the orbit". The commonest type of ramification, with two terminal branches, was found in 94.6% of the specimens. Type 2 (with three terminal branches) occurred in 2.5% and Type 3 (with a single terminal branch) also in 2.5% of the cases. The level of the bifurcation of the superficial temporal artery varied between a point 2 cm below the "German horizontal line" and a second point 2 cm above the "upper horizontal line". The main trunk of the vessel was found to make an angle of 82.2 degrees with the "German horizontal line", its frontal branch running upward and anteriorward at an angle of 40 degrees to this line.