Anatomy: Innervation Of The Palate Flashcards
Is the hard palate located anteriorly or posteriorly in the oral cavity?
Anteriorly
What is the soft palate composed of?
Mucosa that is overlying musculature
How many bones comprise the hard palate and what are they called?
Four:
- right maxilla
- left maxilla
- right palatine
- left palatine
What two bones make up the horizontal plate?
The right and left palatine bones
Via what suture do the maxillary bones and palatine bones articulate?
Median palatine suture
What type of mucosa covers the hard palate?
Keratinised stratified squamous epithelium
What type of mucosa covers the soft palate?
Non-keratinised stratified squamous epithelium
What is the function of the duct openings of the palatine glands?
Allow saliva to flow through hard palate to oral cavity
What is the incisive papilla?
Small mound of mucosa that overlays the incisive canal
What are palatal rugae?
Little ridges associated with the hard palate
What is the function of palatal rugae?
Involved in mechanical breakdown of food
What does raphe signify? ( e.g. palatine raphe)
Term used for between right-hand and left-hand structures that join
A condition where there is a defect in development of the palate. Specifically due to failure of the lateral palatine processes to meet and fuse
Cleft palate
What are the three main nerves of the palate?
- nasopalatine nerve
- greater palatine nerve
- lesser palatine nerve
What is the nasopalatine nerve a branch of?
CN V2
Which nerve scented anteriorly over the hard palate?
Greater palatine nerve
Which nerve extends posteriorly over the soft palate?
Lesser palatine nerve
What foramen does the branch of the nasopalatine nerve pass through?
Incisive foramen
What tissues does the nasopalatine nerve supply?
The palatal gingivae of anterior teeth and mucosa of anterior palate
Describe the lymphatic drainage of the anterior hard palate
Drains first to the submandibular lymph nodes, then to the deep cervical lymph nodes
Describe the two routes of lymphatic drainage of the posterior hard palate and soft palate
- Drains first to retropharyngeal lymph nodes, then to deep cervical lymph nodes
OR - Drains directly to deep cervical lymph nodes
What are the two arches of the soft palate called?
- palatoglossal arch
- palatopharyngeal arch
Name the five muscles of the soft palate
- levator veli palatini
- tensor veli palatini
- palatoglossus
- palatopharyngeus
- muscular uvulae
What cranial nerves innervate the majority of the soft palate muscles?
CN X/XI
Which soft palate muscle is not innervated by CN X/XI?
Tensor veli palatini
What cranial nerve innervates tensor veli palatini?
CN V3
The point where the tensor palatini muscle tendons join in the soft palate is known as?
Palatine aponeurosis
What is the superior attachment of the tensor veli palatini?
Sphenoid bone
Which soft palate muscle’s tendon turns medially around the pterygoid hamulus to enter the soft palate?
Tensor veli palatini
What are the levator veli palatini’s attachments
From petrous temporal bone to soft palate
What are the main muscles of the pharynx?
- salpingopharyngeus
- palatopharyngeus
- superior constrictor
- middle constrictor
The longitudinal muscle of the pharynx wall that extends from the opening of the eustachian tube
Salpingopharyngeus
The flap of tissue that sits beneath the tongue at the back of the throat
Epiglottis
What is the main function of the epiglottis?
Closes over trachea whilst eating so that food does not enter airway
How would you clinically test the vagus nerve?
- ask patient to say ‘Aahh’
- if uvula lifts up straight in midline, nerve is fully functioning
- if uvula pulls to one side, there is a unilateral nerve pathology on the opposite side from where it’s pulled
What are the functions of the soft palate?
- Stop food entering nose during swallowing
- Directs air into nose or mouth during speech, sneezing, coughing and vomiting
- Helps to close off entrance into oropharynx during gag reflex
