Lateral pterygoid nerve
| Lateral pterygoid nerve | |
|---|---|
Distribution of the maxillary and mandibular nerves, and the submaxillary ganglion. | |
| Details | |
| From | Anterior division of mandibular nerve |
| Innervates | Lateral pterygoid muscle |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | nervus pterygoideus externus nervus pterygoideus lateralis |
| TA98 | A14.2.01.072 |
| TA2 | 6257 |
| FMA | 53107 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
The lateral pterygoid nerve (or external pterygoid nerve) is a motor branch of the anterior division of the mandibular nerve (CN V3).[1][2] It arises in the infratemporal fossa and passes lateral to the lateral pterygoid muscle.[3] It typically originates as two separate branches that travel near the buccal nerve, and enter the deep surfaces of the superior and inferior heads of the lateral pterygoid muscle, which contributes to protrusion and side-to-side motion of the lower jaw during chewing.[4] The nerve is relevant in conditions and surgical procedures involving the infratemporal region and the muscles that control mandibular movement.[5]
Nerve pathway
- trigeminal nerve (CN V)
- mandibular nerve (V3)
- anterior division of mandibular nerve
Variation
Some authors describe the lateral pterygoid nerve as a single branch of the anterior division of the mandibular nerve which then bifurcates to enter the two heads of the lateral pterygoid muscle.[6]
References
- ^ Standring, Susan; Tubbs, R. Shane, eds. (December 30, 2025). Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice (43rd ed.). Elsevier. ISBN 9780443124785.
- ^ Thilander, Birgit (1964-01-01). "Fibre Analysis of the Lateral Pterygoid Nerve". Acta Odontologica Scandinavica. 22 (1): 157–163. doi:10.3109/00016356408993971. ISSN 0001-6357. PMID 14158467.
- ^ Singh, Vishram (November 7, 2014). Infratemporal Fossa, Temporomandibular Joint, and Pterygopalatine Fossa (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier India. ISBN 978-81-312-4138-7.
- ^ Suer, Michael (2021), Abd-Elsayed, Alaa (ed.), "Anatomy of the Trigeminal Nerve", Trigeminal Nerve Pain: A Guide to Clinical Management, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 5–16, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-60687-9_2, ISBN 978-3-030-60687-9, S2CID 230539881, retrieved 2022-10-14
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link) - ^ Piagkou, Maria N.; Demesticha, T.; Piagkos, G.; Androutsos, G.; Skandalakis, P. (2011-05-01). "Mandibular nerve entrapment in the infratemporal fossa". Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy. 33 (4): 291–299. doi:10.1007/s00276-010-0706-5. ISSN 1279-8517.
- ^ Rathee, Manu; Jain, Prachi (2026), "Anatomy, Head and Neck, Lateral Pterygoid Muscle", StatPearls, Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, PMID 31747206, retrieved 2026-03-10