Structure
- The posterior ethmoidal nerve is a branch of the nasociliary nerve.
- It passes through the posterior ethmoidal foramen alongside the posterior ethmoidal artery.
Innervation
- Within the anterior cranial fossa, it issues a branch to innervate part of the dura mater.
- It gives branches to the sphenoid sinus and the ethmoid sinus.
- The posterior ethmoidal nerve supplies sensation to the sphenoid sinus and the ethmoid sinus.
- It also supplies sensation to part of the dura mater in the anterior cranial fossa.
Variation
- The posterior ethmoidal nerve is absent in around 30% of people.
- This absence may affect the innervation of the sphenoid sinus and the ethmoid sinus.
Other animals
- The posterior ethmoidal nerve is present in other animals, including horses.
- Analgesia or neurectomy of the posterior ethmoidal nerve can be used to treat headshaking in horses.
References
- Barral, Jean-Pierre; Croibier, Alain (2009). Manual Therapy for the Cranial Nerves. Churchill Livingstone. pp.115–128.
- Semmer, A. E.; McLoon, L. K.; Lee, M. S. (2010). Orbital Vascular Anatomy. Encyclopedia of the Eye. Academic Press. pp.241–251.
- Shimizu, Toshihiko; Suzuki, Norihiro (2010). Handbook of Clinical Neurology. Vol.97. Elsevier. pp.35–45.
- Seker, Askin; Martins, Carolina; Rhoton Jr., Albert L. (2010). Meningiomas. Saunders. pp.11–51.
- Rea, Paul (2016). Essential Clinically Applied Anatomy of the Peripheral Nervous System in the Head and Neck. Academic Press. pp.21–130.
The posterior ethmoidal nerve is a nerve of the head. It is a branch of the nasociliary nerve (itself a branch of the ophthalmic nerve (CN V1)). It provides sensory innervation to the sphenoid sinus and ethmoid sinus, and part of the dura mater in the anterior cranial fossa.
| Posterior ethmoidal nerve | |
|---|---|
 The ophthalmic artery and its branches. (Nerve not pictured, but location is similar to artery.) | |
| Details | |
| From | nasociliary nerve |
| Innervates | sphenoidal sinus, ethmoidal sinus |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | nervus ethmoidalis posterior |
| TA98 | A14.2.01.028 |
| TA2 | 6207 |
| FMA | 52714 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
