Nerve Pathway
- Trigeminal nerve (CN V)
- Mandibular nerve (V3)
- Anterior division of mandibular nerve
- Lateral pterygoid nerve as a branch of anterior division of mandibular nerve
- Bifurcation of lateral pterygoid nerve to enter the two heads of the lateral pterygoid muscle
Variation in the pathway of the lateral pterygoid nerve
- Some authors describe the lateral pterygoid nerve as a single branch of the anterior division of the mandibular nerve
- Lateral pterygoid nerve bifurcates to enter the two heads of the lateral pterygoid muscle
- Authors differ in their description of the lateral pterygoid nerve
- Different interpretations of the lateral pterygoid nerve's course
References
- Thilander, Birgit (1964-01-01). Fibre Analysis of the Lateral Pterygoid Nerve.
- Acta Odontologica Scandinavica, 22 (1): 157–163, doi:10.3109/00016356408993971, ISSN0001-6357, PMID14158467
- Neuroanatomy article stub
- Wikipedia page on the lateral pterygoid nerve
- Categories: Mandibular nerve, Neuroanatomy stubs, Articles with short description, Short description matches Wikidata, Articles with TA98 identifiers, All stub articles
The lateral pterygoid nerve (or external pterygoid nerve) is a branch of the anterior division of the mandibular nerve. It usually 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.
| 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 | |
lateral pterygoid nerve (plural lateral pterygoid nerves)
