296 HEAD AND NECK 



will note the terminal part of the ascending palatine branch of 

 the external maxillary artery descending along the levator 

 palati into the soft palate. 



Musculi Levatores Veil Palatini. Each elevator muscle 

 of the soft palate is a rounded, fleshy muscle which arises from 

 the lower and medial border of the cartilage of the corre- 

 sponding auditory tube, and from the rough surface on the 

 under aspect of the apex of the petrous part of the adjacent 

 temporal bone. It passes downwards and forwards, crosses 

 the upper border of the superior constrictor, pierces the 

 pharyngeal aponeurosis, passes below the orifice of the auditory 

 tube, and enters the soft palate. There its fibres spread out 

 below the uvular muscle and above the anterior or deep 

 portion of the pharyngo-palatinus. Anteriorly, some of the 

 fibres are inserted into the palatal aponeurosis ; but more 

 posteriorly, the majority of the fibres become continuous 

 with the corresponding fasciculi of the opposite side. The 

 nerve supply is derived from the accessory nerve. The name 

 of the muscle indicates its action. 



Musculi Tensores Veil Palatini. The origin of each 

 tensor muscle of the soft palate and the relations of its 

 muscular belly were noted on p. 200. The muscle descends 

 from the scaphoid fossa of the base of the skull along the 

 lateral surface of the medial pterygoid lamina, and it ends 

 in a tendon which turns horizontally towards the median 

 plane, below the hamulus, where a bursa mucosa facilitates 

 the play of the tendon on the bone. In the soft palate the 

 tendon expands below the lower layer of the pharyngo- 

 palatinus, and some of its fibres blend with the palatal 

 aponeurosis, whilst others gain attachment to the horizontal 

 part of the palate bone. It is supplied by the mandibular 

 division of the trigeminal nerve. Its name indicates its 

 action. 



Palatal Aponeurosis. The palatal aponeurosis extends 

 backwards from the posterior margin of the hard palate, to 

 give strength and support to the soft palate. At first it 

 is strongly marked, but it weakens rapidly as it passes 

 posteriorly. The small portion of the soft palate which it 

 supports contains few muscular fibres, and remains always 

 more or less horizontal in position. The much more extensive 

 posterior muscular part of the soft palate constitutes the 

 movable sloping portion, The tensor gf the soft palate 



