MANDIBULAR NERVE. 



779 



downwards and forwards medial to the external pterygoid muscle, and separates into 

 the following branches : (1) A branch for the external pterygoid muscle, which 

 supplies it on its deep surface ; (2) a branch to the masseter muscle (h. mas- 

 setericus), which passes over the superior border of the external pterygoid and 

 through the mandibular notch of the mandible ; (3) and (4) two deep temporal 

 branches (nn. temporales profundi), an anterior and a posterior, to the temporal muscle, 

 which also ascend above the external pterygoid muscle ; and (5) the n. buccinatorius 

 (buccinator (O.T. buccal) nerve), which passes obliquely forwards between the two 

 heads of the external pterygoid to reach the buccinator muscle. This nerve is 

 sensory, and its fibres are, in part, distributed to the skin of the cheek (communi- 

 cating with buccal branches of the facial nerve) ; they are also, in part, distributed 

 to the mucous membrane of the inside of the mouth, to reach which they pierce 



nerve 



' Genicular ganglion 



i | Carotico-tyinpanic nerve 



| Lesser superficial petrosal nerve 



Tympanic plexv 



Tympanic branch of 

 glos 



lossopharyngeal 



Chorda tympani nerve 1 

 Auriculo-temporal nerve 



Inferior alveolar nerve 



Stylogl 

 Mylo-hyoid branch 



Internal carotid artery 

 I Middle meningeal artery 



Sympathetic root from sympathetic plexus on the middle meningeal artery 

 | Otic ganglion 



Nerves to tensor tympani and tensor veli palatini 



Nerve to internal pterygoid muscle 



Mandibular nerve 

 -- Anterior division (motor) 

 ^Temporal branch 

 Lingual nerve 



-Masseteric branch 

 'External pterygoid branch 



Temporal branch 

 Buccinator branch 



Communication to hypoglossal 



Submaxillary ganglion 



Hyoglossus 



Genioglossus 



Nerve to mylo-hyoid musa 

 Nerve to digastric (anterior belly) 



icisor branch 

 igastric (anterior belly) 



FIG. 655. THE MANDIBULAR NERVE. 



fibres of the buccinator muscle. The buccinator nerve usually supplies a 

 third branch to the temporal muscle, after emerging between the two heads of 

 1 the external pterygoid muscle (Fig. 655). 



The large posterior trunk extends downwards a short way medial to the external 

 pterygoid muscle. After giving off, by two roots, the auriculo-temporal nerve, it 

 ends by dividing into two, the lingual and the inferior alveolar nerves. 



N. Auriculotemporalis. The auriculo-temporal nerve is formed by the union 



i of two roots which embrace the middle meningeal artery. The nerve passes 



backwards medial to the external pterygoid muscle and between the spheno-man- 



! dibular ligament and the neck of the mandible. After passing through the parotid 



1 gland, it is directed upwards to the temple over the zygoma, in company with the 



superficial temporal artery. It is finally distributed as a cutaneous nerve of the 



1 temple and scalp, and reaches almost to the vertex of the skull. 



The auriculo-temporal nerve gives off the following branches: (1) A small 

 branch to the mandibular articulation. (2) Branches to the parotid gland (rami 



