Angiographic study of the arterial supply to the palatine mucoperiosteum.

Studies on the arterial supply of dog palatal mucoperiosteum have contributed to the success of surgical procedures on the hard palate of humans. We decided to undertake a more detailed anatomical study of the arterial supply of the canine palate. 15 male dogs of the species Canis familiaris were used. Contrast solution (barium sulfate) was injected into the palatal arterial system, followed by the removal of the dog's palate together with its mucoperiosteum. To obtain good radiographic imaging of the arterial network of the palatal mucoperiosteum, decalcification of the palatal bone was carried out. X-ray images were taken by a mammography X-ray machine set for 23 kV and 10 mA. The X-ray images showed that the mucoperiosteal arterial network is composed of a left and a right major artery which enters the mucoperiosteum through the left and right foramen, respectively. Anastomoses were observed between these two major arteries along their path from the posterior to the anterior regions of the mucoperiosteum. These anastomoses always occurred at the palatal transversal crests. The statistical study of the collected data showed that, for the posterior third of the palate, there is a proportionality between the number of the arterial derivations from the two major arteries and the mucoperiosteal area. The X-ray images also showed that the middle third of the palate is the least supplied with arterial derivations.