Anatomy: Innervation Of The Palate

Question 1

Is the hard palate located anteriorly or posteriorly in the oral cavity?

Answer 1

Anteriorly

Question 2

What is the soft palate composed of?

Answer 2

Mucosa that is overlying musculature

Question 3

How many bones comprise the hard palate and what are they called?

Answer 3

Four:
- right maxilla
- left maxilla
- right palatine
- left palatine

Question 4

What two bones make up the horizontal plate?

Answer 4

The right and left palatine bones

Question 5

Via what suture do the maxillary bones and palatine bones articulate?

Answer 5

Median palatine suture

Question 6

What type of mucosa covers the hard palate?

Answer 6

Keratinised stratified squamous epithelium

Question 7

What type of mucosa covers the soft palate?

Answer 7

Non-keratinised stratified squamous epithelium

Question 8

What is the function of the duct openings of the palatine glands?

Answer 8

Allow saliva to flow through hard palate to oral cavity

Question 9

What is the incisive papilla?

Answer 9

Small mound of mucosa that overlays the incisive canal

Question 10

What are palatal rugae?

Answer 10

Little ridges associated with the hard palate

Question 11

What is the function of palatal rugae?

Answer 11

Involved in mechanical breakdown of food

Question 12

What does raphe signify? ( e.g. palatine raphe)

Answer 12

Term used for between right-hand and left-hand structures that join

Question 13

A condition where there is a defect in development of the palate. Specifically due to failure of the lateral palatine processes to meet and fuse

Answer 13

Cleft palate

Question 14

What are the three main nerves of the palate?

Answer 14

• nasopalatine nerve
• greater palatine nerve
• lesser palatine nerve

Question 15

What is the nasopalatine nerve a branch of?

Answer 15

CN V2

Question 16

Which nerve scented anteriorly over the hard palate?

Answer 16

Greater palatine nerve

Question 17

Which nerve extends posteriorly over the soft palate?

Answer 17

Lesser palatine nerve

Question 18

What foramen does the branch of the nasopalatine nerve pass through?

Answer 18

Incisive foramen

Question 19

What tissues does the nasopalatine nerve supply?

Answer 19

The palatal gingivae of anterior teeth and mucosa of anterior palate

Question 20

Describe the lymphatic drainage of the anterior hard palate

Answer 20

Drains first to the submandibular lymph nodes, then to the deep cervical lymph nodes

Question 21

Describe the two routes of lymphatic drainage of the posterior hard palate and soft palate

Answer 21

1. Drains first to retropharyngeal lymph nodes, then to deep cervical lymph nodes
   OR
2. Drains directly to deep cervical lymph nodes

Question 22

What are the two arches of the soft palate called?

Answer 22

• palatoglossal arch
• palatopharyngeal arch

Question 23

Name the five muscles of the soft palate

Answer 23

• levator veli palatini
• tensor veli palatini
• palatoglossus
• palatopharyngeus
• muscular uvulae

Question 24

What cranial nerves innervate the majority of the soft palate muscles?

Answer 24

CN X/XI

Question 25

Which soft palate muscle is not innervated by CN X/XI?

Answer 25

Tensor veli palatini

Question 26

What cranial nerve innervates tensor veli palatini?

Answer 26

CN V3

Question 27

The point where the tensor palatini muscle tendons join in the soft palate is known as?

Answer 27

Palatine aponeurosis

Question 28

What is the superior attachment of the tensor veli palatini?

Answer 28

Sphenoid bone

Question 29

Which soft palate muscle’s tendon turns medially around the pterygoid hamulus to enter the soft palate?

Answer 29

Tensor veli palatini

Question 30

What are the levator veli palatini’s attachments

Answer 30

From petrous temporal bone to soft palate

Question 31

What are the main muscles of the pharynx?

Answer 31

- salpingopharyngeus - palatopharyngeus - superior constrictor - middle constrictor

Question 32

The longitudinal muscle of the pharynx wall that extends from the opening of the eustachian tube

Answer 32

Salpingopharyngeus

Question 33

The flap of tissue that sits beneath the tongue at the back of the throat

Answer 33

Epiglottis

Question 34

What is the main function of the epiglottis?

Answer 34

Closes over trachea whilst eating so that food does not enter airway

Question 35

How would you clinically test the vagus nerve?

Answer 35

- ask patient to say ‘Aahh’ - if uvula lifts up straight in midline, nerve is fully functioning - if uvula pulls to one side, there is a unilateral nerve pathology on the opposite side from where it’s pulled

Question 36

What are the functions of the soft palate?

Answer 36

1. Stop food entering nose during swallowing 2. Directs air into nose or mouth during speech, sneezing, coughing and vomiting 3. Helps to close off entrance into oropharynx during gag reflex