Which artery among the six listed as supplying the TMJ is a branch of the maxillary artery?

• A. Deep Auricular
• B. Ascending Pharyngeal
• C. Superficial Temporal
• D. External Carotid

Answer: (A)

The TMJ receives several arterial branches from the maxillary artery, especially from its first part. Among the arteries listed, the deep auricular artery is a branch of the maxillary artery. It runs with the tympanic membrane area and supplies the external auditory canal as well as the TMJ region, making it one of the vessels that directly stems from the maxillary artery to feed the joint.

The other arteries come from different sources: the ascending pharyngeal artery arises from the external carotid artery, the superficial temporal artery is a terminal branch of the external carotid, and the external carotid artery is the larger vessel that gives rise to many branches (including the maxillary and superficial temporal), not a branch of the maxillary itself.