Ciliary arteries

The ciliary arteries are divisible into three groups, the long posterior, short posterior, and the anterior.

• The short posterior ciliary arteries from six to twelve in number, arise from the ophthalmic as it crosses the optic nerve.

• The long posterior ciliary arteries, two in number, pierce the posterior part of the sclera at some little distance from the optic nerve.

• The anterior ciliary arteries are derived from the muscular branches of the ophthalmic artery.

Additional images

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.