NERVES 145 



Branches arising within the infra-orbital canal : 



Middle and anterior superior dental : descend in canals in 

 anterior wall of antrum, and divide into branches. 



The anterior supplies incisor and canine teeth. 



The middle supplies the bicuspid teeth. 



Branches arising on the face : 



Inferior palpebral: supplies integument of lower eyelid, 

 communicating with facial, and rnalar of orbital. 



Nasal : to integument of side of nose. Joins nasal of 

 ophthalmic. 



Labial : three or four branches to integument of upper lip. 



The SPHENO-PALATINE or MECKEL'S GANGLION is deeply 

 placed in the spheno-maxillary fossa, near the spheno-palatine 

 foramen. 



Roots : 



Motor from the facial. (Large superficial petrosal nerve.) 



Sympathetic from the carotid plexus. (Large deep petrosal 

 nerve.) See Vidian nerve, p. 146. 



Sensory from the superior maxillary. (Spheno-palatine 

 nerves.) 



Branches of distribution : 



Ascending : three or four small branches to the periosteum 

 of the orbit. 



Descending : mostly continuous with spheno - palatine of 

 superior maxillary nerve. 



The anterior or large palatine nerve passes through large 

 posterior palatine canal to hard palate, there dividing into 

 branches which run forward in grooves in the bone nearly to 

 the incisor teeth, joining the naso-palatine nerve in the region 

 of anterior palatine canal. It supplies the gums and mucous 

 membrane of hard palate. Whilst in the posterior palatine 

 canal it gives off the inferior nasal branches which supply 

 mucous membrane on middle and inferior spongy bones. 



The posterior or small palatine nerve enters smaller posterior 

 palatine canal to supply mucous membrane of soft palate, 

 uvula and tonsil. 



The external palatine nerve passes through external palatine 

 canal to the tonsil and soft palate. 



Internal. 



Superior nasal (4 or 5) through spheno-palatine foramen to 

 supply the posterior and upper part of the superior meatus. 



The naso-palatine nerve (nerve of Cotunnius) passes inwards 

 through spheno-palatine foramen, crosses roof of nasal fossa 

 to septum, on which it passes downwards and forwards with 

 its fellow of the opposite side to the foramina of Scarpa in 

 anterior palatine canal, the left nerve being anterior, and, 



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