Greater palatine nerve

The greater palatine nerve is a branch of the pterygopalatine ganglion. This nerve is also referred to as the anterior palatine nerve, due to its location anterior to the lesser palatine nerve. It carries both general sensory fibres from the maxillary nerve, and parasympathetic fibers from the nerve of the pterygoid canal. It may be anaesthetised for procedures of the mouth and maxillary (upper) teeth.

Greater palatine nerve
The sphenopalatine ganglion and its branches. (Anterior palatine at bottom center)
Details
Frompterygopalatine ganglion
Identifiers
Latinnervus palatinus major, nervus palatinus anterior
TA98A14.2.01.045
TA26224
FMA52802
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy

Structure

The greater palatine nerve is a branch of the pterygopalatine ganglion. It descends through the greater palatine canal, moving anteriorly and inferiorly.[1][2] Here, it is accompanied by the descending palatine artery.[1] It emerges upon the hard palate through the greater palatine foramen. It then passes forward in a groove in the hard palate, nearly as far as the incisor teeth.

While in the pterygopalatine canal, it gives off lateral posterior inferior nasal branches, which enter the nasal cavity through openings in the palatine bone, and ramify over the inferior nasal concha and middle and inferior meatuses. At its exit from the canal, a palatine branch is distributed to both surfaces of the soft palate.

Function

The greater palatine nerve carries both general sensory fibres from the maxillary nerve, and parasympathetic fibers from the nerve of the pterygoid canal. It supplies the gums, the mucous membrane and glands of the hard palate, and communicates in front with the terminal filaments of the nasopalatine nerve.

Clinical significance

The greater palatine nerve may be anaesthetised to perform dental procedures on the maxillary (upper) teeth, and sometimes for cleft lip and cleft palate surgery.[1]

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 893 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

  1. Hafeez, Najmus Sahar; Ganapathy, Sugantha; Sondekoppam, Rakesh; Johnson, Marjorie; Merrifield, Peter; Galil, Khadry A. (2015). "Anatomical Variations of the Greater Palatine Nerve in the Greater Palatine Canal". Journal of the Canadian Dental Association. 81 – via jcda.
  2. Mellema, Jonathan W.; Tami, Thomas A. (2004-03-01). "An Endoscopic Study of the Greater Palatine Nerve". American Journal of Rhinology. 18 (2): 99–103. doi:10.1177/194589240401800206. ISSN 1050-6586.
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