THE INFERIOR MAXILLARY NERVE. 617 



The ANTERIOR PART receives nearly all the fibres of the motor Anterior 

 root of the nerve, and furnishes branches to three of the muscles of parfc 

 the jaw, viz., temporal, masseter, and external pterygoid, and the 

 buccal branch to the cheek (fig. 219, p. 611). 



The deep temporal branches (tig. 219 and fig. 222, 3 ) are three in supplies 

 number, and enter the deep surface of the temporal muscle ; the branches, 

 middle, which is the largest and supplies the greater part of the middle, 

 muscle, leaves the anterior division of the trunk and ascends close 

 to the bone, above the upper border of the external pterygoid ; the 

 posterior is usually conjoined with the masseteric nerve, and enters posterior, 

 the hinder part of the muscle ; and the anterior is given off from and ^^ 

 the buccal nerve in front of the external pterygoid. 



The masseteric branch ( 2 ) takes an outward course above the Masseteric. 

 external pterygoid muscle, and through the sigmoid notch, to the 

 under surface of the masseter muscle, in which it can be followed 

 to near the anterior border. As this branch passes by the articula- 

 tion of the jaw it gives one or more twigs to that joint. 



The nerve to the external pterygoid generally arises in common Branch to 

 with the buccal nerve, and enters the deep surface of its muscle. pterygoid. 



The buccal branch (>), longer and larger than the others, is mainly Buccal 

 a sensory nerve to the cheek. It is first directed forwards between Jgnsory ; 

 the heads of the external pterygoid muscle, and then descends 

 beneath the coronoid process and the insertion of the temporal muscle 

 towards the angle of the mouth. After perforating the pterygoid, 

 it gives off the anterior deep temporal nerve ; and on the surface of gives off 

 the buccinator it divides into branches which form a plexus with te^inporal. 

 the buccal branches of the facial nerve, and are finally distributed 

 to the skin and mucous membrane of the cheek. 



The POSTERIOR PART of the inferior maxillary nerve divides into Posterior 

 three branches auricula-temporal, inferior dental, and lingual inferior 

 (fig. 219). A few of the fibres of the motor root join the dental maxillary, 

 nerve, and are conveyed to the mylo-hyoid and digastric muscles. 



The AURICULO-TEMPORAL SERVE (fig. 222, 4 ) arises from the trunk Auricuio- 

 near the base of the skull, usually by two roots which embrace the 

 middle meningeal artery. In its course to the surface of the head, 

 it is first directed backwards beneath the external pterygoid muscle 

 as far as the neck of the jaw, ami then upwards with the superficial lies beneath 

 temporal artery in front of the ear. Its ramifications on the head jaw> 

 are described at page 504. In the part now dissected its branches and supplies 

 are the following : 



a. Branches to the meatus auditor-ins. Two offsets are given to to the 

 the meatus from the nerve beneath the neck of the jaw, and enter m ' 

 that tube between the cartilage and bone. 



b. Articular branch. The branch to the joint of the jaw arises J int of jaw, 

 near the same spot as the preceding, or from the branches to the 

 meatus. 



c. The inferior auricular branch supplies the tragus and adjacent the ear > and 

 part of the pinna. 



d. Parotid branches. These small filaments ramify in the gland, parotid; 



i/imunicatinq branches with the otic qanqlion. One or two t J in otic 



ganglion 



