Branches of the Petrous Carotid Artery. F, Another petrous carotid. The petrolingual ligament and abducens nerve cross the lateral surface of the cavernous carotid. The greater petrosal nerve passes, not above, but anterior to the petrous carotid and turns downward along the anterior wall of the carotid canal, where it is joined above the foramen lacerum by a vidian artery. The vidian artery and nerve pass forward inside the sheath lining the vidian canal. A bundle of the carotid nerve plexus ascends on the surface of the petrous carotid and joins the abducens nerve (green arrow). G, The distal horizontal segment, anterior genu, and anterior vertical segment of another petrous carotid have been exposed. The greater petrosal nerve passes above and anterior to the petrous carotid and above the foramen lacerum, where it is joined by a vidian artery that arises in a common trunk with a periosteal branch. The vidian artery enters the vidian canal with the vidian nerve. H, A common trunk arises from the anterior genu of the petrous carotid and gives rise to a vidian and periosteal artery. The deep petrosal nerve, a branch of the carotid neural plexus, joins the greater petrosal nerve to form the vidian nerve. I, A common trunk that arises from the distal horizontal segment gives rise to both a vidian and a periosteal artery. The vidian artery also gives rise to a small periosteal artery near its origin. (Images courtesy of AL Rhoton, Jr.)