A31 - Clinical relevance of the Palate

Question 1

where in the palate does the branches of CN Vb and blood vessels pass through?

Answer 1

palatine foramen

Question 2

what is the epithelium lining the hard palate?

Answer 2

keratinised stratified squamous epithelium

Question 3

why is there keratinised epithelium on the hard palate?

Answer 3

• thick so can cope with the mechanical forces within the mouth

Question 4

what is the epithelium lining the soft palate?

Answer 4

non-keratinised stratified squamous epithelium

Question 5

Where on the palate do the nasopalatine nerves pass through?

Answer 5

nasopalatine nerve

Question 6

What is the name for the suture running down the medial section of the palate?

Answer 6

Median Palatine Suture

Question 7

What feature of the hard palate covers the incisive foramen?

Answer 7

incisive papilla

Question 8

What are the transverse mucosa ridges of the hard palate, that help break down food, called?

Answer 8

palatal rugae

Question 9

What feature of the hard palate is caused by the fusion of the palatal shelves?

Answer 9

palatine raphe

Question 10

What is the condition called when the palate is not fused together? It is due to failure of lateral palatine processes to meet and fuse

Answer 10

cleft palate

Question 11

What do complications of the cleft palate include?

Answer 11

speech

• dental health
• feeding
• hearing

Question 12

what supplies the most anterior of the hard palate?

Answer 12

incisive branch of nasopalatine nerve

Question 13

what nerve supplies the hard palate?

Answer 13

greater palatine nerve

Question 14

what nerve supplies the soft palate?

Answer 14

lesser palatine nerve

Question 15

What passes through the incisive foramen and supplies palatal gingivae of anterior teeth and mucosa of the anterior palate?

Answer 15

Branch of nasopalatine nerve

Question 16

what is the pathway of drainage of the anterior part of the hard palate?

Answer 16

submandibualr nodes > deep cervical nodes > thoracic duct

Question 17

what is the pathway of drainage of the posterior part of the hard palate and soft palate?

Answer 17

retropharyngeal nodes > deep cervical nodes > thoracic duct

Question 18

where do the palatine tonsils drain?

Answer 18

the jugulo-digastric node

Question 19

how is the uvula formed?

Answer 19

formation of a left and right musculus uvula covered in oral mucosa to give single uvula

Question 20

where are the palatine tonsils located in the oral cavity?

Answer 20

in the tonsillar crept formed by the palatoglossal arch (anterior arch) and the palatopharyngeal arch
(posterior arch)

Question 21

what are the 5 pairs of muscles of the soft palate?

Answer 21

• levator veli palatini
• tensor veli palatini
• musculus uvulae
• palatoglossus
• palatopharyngeus

Question 22

what muscles of the soft palate are supplies by CN X?

Answer 22

• musculus uvulae
• palatoglossus
• palatopharyngeus
• levator veli palatini

Question 23

what nerve supplies - tensor veli palatini?

Answer 23

CN V3

Question 24

what is the palatine aponeurosis?

Answer 24

tensor veli palatini attaches superiorly to the sphenoid bone, where its tendon tendon turns medially around the pterygoid hamulus & enters the soft palate where it then flattens out within the soft palate & joins with the tendon of the opposite muscle

Question 25

describe the clinical testing of the palate?

Answer 25

Ask patient to say “Aahh”

• if the nerves are functioning normally the uvula should lift straight up in the MIDLINE
• if there is unilateral nerve pathology the uvula will be pulled AWAY FROM the non-functioning side by the normal side

Question 26

what is the “trapdoor” function of the soft palate?

Answer 26

1. stops food entering the nose during swallowing
2. directs air into the nose or the mouth during speech, sneezing, coughing & vomiting
3. helps to close off the entrance into the oropharynx during the gag reflex

Question 27

what bones make up the hard palate?

Answer 27

left and right maxilla and palatine bone joined at midline raphe