Mandibular nerve
Branch of the trigeminal nerve responsible for the lower face and jaw
- 2 min read
- 2 chapters
Explore on Lably
ToursExplore Lably’s 3D toursStructure
Course
The large sensory root of mandibular nerve emerges from the lateral part of the trigeminal ganglion and exits the cranial cavity through the foramen ovale. The motor root (Latin: radix motoria s. portio minor), the small motor root of the trigeminal nerve, passes under the trigeminal ganglion and through the foramen ovale to unite with the sensory root just outside the skull.
The mandibular nerve immediately passes between tensor veli palatini, which is medial, and lateral pterygoid, which is lateral, and gives off a meningeal branch (nervus spinosus) and the nerve to medial pterygoid from its medial side. The nerve then divides into a small anterior division and a large posterior division.
Branches
The mandibular nerve gives off the following branches:
- From the main trunk (before the division):
- meningeal branch (nervus spinosus) (sensory)
- medial pterygoid nerve (motor)
- From the anterior division:
- masseteric nerve (mixed)
- deep temporal nerves (mixed)
- buccal nerve (sensory)
- lateral pterygoid nerve (motor)
- From the posterior division:
- auriculotemporal nerve (sensory)
- lingual nerve (sensory)
- inferior alveolar nerve (mixed)
- mylohyoid nerve (motor)
- incisive branch (sensory)
- mental nerve (sensory)
Distribution
Anterior Division
(Motor Innervation - Muscles of mastication)
- Masseteric nerve
- Medial pterygoid nerve
- Medial pterygoid muscle
- Tensor tympani muscle
- Tensor veli palatini (via tensor veli palatini branch)
- Lateral pterygoid nerve
- Deep temporal nerve
- Temporalis muscle
(Sensory Innervation)
- Buccal nerve
- Inside of the cheek (buccal mucosa)
- Nervous spinosus (sensory)
Posterior Division
Lingual Split
(general sensory innervation (not special sensory for taste))
- Anterior 2/3 of Tongue (mucous membrane)
Inferior Alveolar Split
(Motor Innervation)
(Sensory Innervation)
Auriculotemporal Split
Sign in to keep reading
One more chapter is free with a Lably account.