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Arterial supply of the human soft palate

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Abstract

Purpose

Palatal surgery for snoring or obstructive sleep apnea is commonly performed; however, the vascular anatomy of the soft palate is not well described. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the vascular anatomy of the soft palate.

Methods

This study was performed on 22 adult cadaveric heads. All specimens were prepared with vascular injections using red liquid silicone through the common carotid artery. The palate was then harvested and decolorized, and the vascular anatomy was studied.

Results

Of 22 specimens, 20 had sufficient uptake of the silicone dye. The anterior and posterior branches of the ascending palatine artery were the main feeding vessels of the soft palate; however, they were not always present simultaneously. The anterior branch alone was identified 25% of the time (5/20), while the posterior branch alone was found in 35% (7/20) of specimens. Both anterior and posterior branches were simultaneously present in 40% (8/20) of cases. Mean diameter of the anterior branch (0.73 ± 0.09 mm) was significantly greater than that of the posterior branch (0.48 ± 0.08 mm, p < 0.001). Mean vertical distance from the palatal arch to the posterior branch was 9.3 ± 2.4 mm.

Conclusions

The soft palate is supplied by the anterior and posterior branches of the ascending palatine artery; however, the arteries were not always present simultaneously. In cases where the anterior branch is absent and the posterior branches terminate close to the uvula, injury to the primary blood supply to the palate might occur more frequently during surgery.

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Acknowledgements

We are deeply appreciative to Dae Won Kim, Jun Ho Kim, and Yool Han for technical support. All are staff in the Surgical Anatomy Education Centre, Yonsei University College of Medicine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea

    Jae Hoon Cho & Jin Kook Kim

  2. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 134, Shinchon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 120-752, South Korea

    Jin Won Kim & Joo-Heon Yoon

  3. Department of Anatomy, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

    Hyoung Woo Park

  4. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Jeffrey D. Suh

  5. The Airway Mucus Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

    Joo-Heon Yoon

  6. BK21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

    Joo-Heon Yoon

Authors
  1. Jae Hoon Cho
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  2. Jin Won Kim
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  3. Hyoung Woo Park
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  4. Jeffrey D. Suh
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  5. Jin Kook Kim
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joo-Heon Yoon.

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All authors have no conflict of interest in this study.

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Cho, J.H., Kim, J.W., Park, H.W. et al. Arterial supply of the human soft palate. Surg Radiol Anat 39, 731–734 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-016-1798-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-016-1798-3

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