Lesser palatine nerve
| Lesser palatine nerve | |
|---|---|
The sphenopalatine ganglion and its branches. (Lesser palatine nerve at bottom right.) | |
| Details | |
| From | Pterygopalatine ganglion |
| Innervates | Soft palate, tonsil, and uvula |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | nervi palatini minores |
| TA98 | A14.2.01.047 |
| TA2 | 6227 |
| FMA | 52805 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
The lesser palatine nerves (posterior palatine nerve) are sensory branches of the maxillary nerve (CN V2).[1] They arise from the pterygopalatine ganglion and descend through the lesser palatine canal and emerge (separately) through the lesser palatine foramen to pass posterior-ward at the soft palate.[2] They provide sensory innervation to the mucosa of the soft palate, tonsil,[2][3] and uvula.[3][4] The nerves also carry autonomic fibers that contribute to the palatine glands.[5] The lesser palatine nerve is relevant in dental anesthesia and in surgical procedures involving the posterior palate.[6]
See also
References
- ^ Standring, Susan; Tubbs, R. Shane, eds. (December 30, 2025). Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice (43rd ed.). Elsevier. ISBN 9780443124785.
- ^ a b Chummy S. Sinnatamby (2011). Last's anatomy: regional and applied (12th ed.). Edinburgh. p. 496. ISBN 978-0-7020-4839-5. OCLC 764565702.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ a b Gray, Henry (1918). Gray's Anatomy (20th ed.). p. 893.
- ^ Ganatra, Muhammad Ashraf; Othman, Diaa (2022), "Anatomy of the Normal Palate", Surgical Atlas of Cleft Palate and Palatal Fistulae, Springer, Singapore, pp. 3–9, doi:10.1007/978-981-15-8124-3_2, ISBN 978-981-15-8124-3, retrieved 2026-03-10
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link) - ^ Hakami, Zaki (2018-02-01). "Distribution of nerve fibers during the development of palatine glands in rats". Acta Histochemica. 120 (2): 110–116. doi:10.1016/j.acthis.2017.12.007. ISSN 0065-1281.
- ^ Narquet, Alexandre Louis Jacques (June 2023). "Greater and lesser palatine nerves: anatomical variations and its relevance on clinical practice". Universidad Europea de Madrid.
External links
- lesson9 at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University)
- cranialnerves at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (V)
- MedEd at Loyola GrossAnatomy/h_n/cn/cn1/cnb2.htm