Objective To investigate the significance of dissecting the inferior thyroid artery (ITA) for protection of inferior parathyroid glands (IPGs) during central compartment neck dissection (CCND) for thyroid cancer.Methods A cohort of 65 patients (9 bilateral cases and 56 unilateral cases) underwent CCND in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 74 sides of ITA were dissected to find and protect IPGs. The number of IPGs found during surgery, ITA status, and preservation of blood supply after IPGs and the level of postoperative parathyroid hormone (PTH) were recorded.Results The proportion of IPGs found by dissecting ITA in this group was 85.1% (63/74); 54.1% (42/74) IPGs that could be identified by the naked eye. The blood supply of Grade I and Grade II branch blood vessels of ITA was obviously oberved, and the grade II branch from ITA to tongues of the thymus was 41.8% (31/74), the success rate of retaining IPGs in situ was 59.4% (44/74), and 12.3% (8/65) of the patients had temporary hypoparathyroidism after surgery, which returned to normal level within 2 weeks.Conclusion The method of dissecting ITA is helpful for identifying IPGs during the CCND and preserving the blood supply satisfactorily.