Descending palatine artery

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Descending palatine artery
Gray511.png
Plan of branches of internal maxillary artery. ("Desc. pal." visible in upper right.)
Gray510.png
Plan of branches of internal maxillary artery. (Artery not labeled, but region is visible.)
Details
Source Maxillary artery (3rd part)
BranchesGreater palatine artery, lesser palatine arteries
Supplies Hard palate, soft palate
Identifiers
Latin arteria palatina descendens
TA98 A12.2.05.084
TA2 4456
FMA 49791
Anatomical terminology

The descending palatine artery is a branch of the third part of the maxillary artery supplying the hard and soft palate.

Contents

Course

It descends through the greater palatine canal with the greater and lesser palatine branches of the pterygopalatine ganglion, and, emerging from the greater palatine foramen, runs forward in a groove on the medial side of the alveolar border of the hard palate to the incisive canal; the terminal branch of the artery passes upward through this canal to anastomose with the sphenopalatine artery.

Branches

Branches are distributed to the gums, the palatine glands, and the mucous membrane of the roof of the mouth; while in the pterygopalatine canal it gives off twigs which descend in the lesser palatine canals to supply the soft palate and palatine tonsil, anastomosing with the ascending palatine artery.

According to Terminologia Anatomica, the descending palatine artery branches into the greater palatine artery and lesser palatine arteries.

See also

Additional images

Related Research Articles

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The nasopalatine nerve (also long sphenopalatine nerve) is a nerve of the head. It is a sensory branch of the maxillary nerve (CN V2) that passes through the pterygopalatine ganglion (without synapsing) and then through the sphenopalatine foramen to enter the nasal cavity, and finally out of the nasal cavity through the incisive canal and then the incisive fossa to enter the hard palate. It provides sensory innervation to the posteroinferior part of the nasal septum, and gingiva just posterior to the upper incisor teeth.

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The ascending palatine artery is an artery is a branch of the facial artery which ascends along the neck before splitting into two terminal branches; one branch supplies the soft palate, and the other supplies the palatine tonsil and pharyngotympanic tube.

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The infraorbital artery is a small artery in the head that arises from the maxillary artery and passes through the inferior orbital fissure to enter the orbit, then passes forward along the floor of the orbit, finally exiting the orbit through the infraorbital foramen to reach the face.

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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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater palatine canal</span> Passage in the skull that transmits the descending palatine artery and vein

The greater palatine canal is a passage in the skull that transmits the descending palatine artery, vein, and greater and lesser palatine nerves between the pterygopalatine fossa and the oral cavity.

The lesser palatine arteries are arteries of the head. It is a branch of the descending palatine artery. They supply the palatine tonsils and the soft palate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser palatine nerve</span>

The lesser palatine nerves (posterior palatine nerve) are branches of the maxillary nerve (CN V2). They descends through the greater palatine canal alongside the greater palatine nerve, and emerge (separately) through the lesser palatine foramen to pass posteriorward. They supply the soft palate, tonsil, and uvula.

References

PD-icon.svgThis article incorporates text in the public domain from page 562 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)