Maxillary nerve

Not to be confused with Axillary nerve.
Maxillary nerve

Alveolar branches of superior maxillary nerve and pterygopalatine ganglion.

Distribution of the maxillary and mandibular nerves, and the submaxillary ganglion.
Details
From Trigeminal nerve
To Infraorbital nerve, zygomatic nerve, posterior superior alveolar nerve, palatine nerve, nasopalatine nerve, sphenopalatine ganglion
Identifiers
Latin Nervus maxillaris
MeSH A08.800.800.120.760.550
TA A14.2.01.037
FMA 52724

Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy

The maxillary nerve (CN V2) is one of the three branches or divisions of the trigeminal nerve, the fifth (V) cranial nerve. It comprises the principal functions of sensation from the maxillary, nasal cavity, sinuses, the palate and subsequently that of the mid-face,[1] and is intermediate, both in position and size, between the ophthalmic nerve and the mandibular nerve.[2] Its function is the transmission of sensory fibers from the maxillary teeth, the skin between the palpebral fissure and the mouth, and from the nasal cavity and sinuses.[3]

Structure

It begins at the middle of the trigeminal ganglion as a flattened plexiform band, and, passing horizontally forward, it leaves the skull through the foramen rotundum, where it becomes more cylindrical in form, and firmer in texture. It then crosses the pterygopalatine fossa, inclines lateralward on the back of the maxilla, and enters the orbit through the inferior orbital fissure. It then runs forward on the floor of the orbit, at first in the infraorbital groove and then in the infraorbital canal remaining outside the periosteum of the orbit. It then emerges on the face through the infraorbital foramen and terminates by dividing into palpebral, lateral nasal and labial branches. The nerve is accompanied by the infraorbital branch of (the third part of) the maxillary artery and the accompanying vein.

Branches

Its branches may be divided into four groups, depending upon where they branch off: in the cranium, in the pterygopalatine fossa, in the infraorbital canal, or on the face.

In the cranium

From the pterygopalatine fossa

In the infraorbital canal

On the face

Function

The Maxillary nerve gives cutaneous branches to the face. It also carries parasympathetic preganglionic fibers (sphenopalatine) and postganglionic fibers (zygomatic, greater and lesser petrosal and nasopalatine) to and from the pterigopalatine ganglion.

Additional Images

See also

This article uses anatomical terminology; for an overview, see Anatomical terminology.

References

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

  1. ↑ Monkhouse, Stanley (2006)., page 5, Table 1.1 - "Synopsis of cranial nerves"
  2. ↑ Illustrated Anatomy of the Head and Neck, Fehrenbach and Herring, Elsevier, 2012, page 180
  3. ↑ Monkhouse, Stanley (2006)., page 56, Section 9.1 - Functions

Books

  1. Monkhouse, Stanley (2006). Cranial nerves - functional anatomy. Cambridge. ISBN 0-521-61537-2. 
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