Structure of the Maxillary Nerve
- Begins at the middle of the trigeminal ganglion as a flattened plexiform band
- Passes through the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus
- Leaves the skull through the foramen rotundum
- Becomes more cylindrical in form and firmer in texture after passing through the foramen rotundum
Branches of the Maxillary Nerve
- Branches may be divided into four groups: in the cranium, in the pterygopalatine fossa, in the infraorbital canal, or on the face
- Carries parasympathetic preganglionic fibers to the pterygopalatine ganglion
- Carries postganglionic fibers to the zygomatic, greater and lesser palatine, and nasopalatine
- Gives cutaneous branches to the face
- Accompanied by the infraorbital branch of the maxillary artery and the accompanying vein
Additional Images
- Image of the Maxillary nerve
Related Topics
- Trigeminal nerve
- Cranial nerves
- Alveolar nerve (Dental nerve)
- This article uses anatomical terminology
References
- Incorporates text in the public domain from page 889 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)
- Monkhouse, Stanley (2006), page 5, Table 1.1 - Synopsis of cranial nerves
- Illustrated Anatomy of the Head and Neck, Fehrenbach and Herring, Elsevier, 2012, page 180
- Monkhouse, Stanley (2006). Cranial nerves - functional anatomy. Cambridge. ISBN 0-521-61537-2.
- Feneis, Heinz; Dauber, Wolfgang (2007). Pocket Atlas of Human Anatomy (5th ed.). Thieme. pp. 400–401.
In neuroanatomy, the maxillary nerve (V2) is one of the three branches or divisions of the trigeminal nerve, the fifth (CN V) cranial nerve. It comprises the principal functions of sensation from the maxilla, nasal cavity, sinuses, the palate and subsequently that of the mid-face, and is intermediate, both in position and size, between the ophthalmic nerve and the mandibular nerve.
| Maxillary nerve | |
|---|---|
 Alveolar branches of superior maxillary nerve and pterygopalatine ganglion. | |
 Distribution of the maxillary and mandibular nerves, and the submaxillary ganglion. | |
| Details | |
| From | Trigeminal nerve |
| To | Infraorbital nerve, zygomatic nerve, palatine nerve, nasopalatine nerve, sphenopalatine ganglion |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | nervus maxillaris |
| MeSH | D008442 |
| TA98 | A14.2.01.037 |
| TA2 | 6216 |
| FMA | 52724 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
maxillary nerve (plural maxillary nerves)
