The ethmoidal nerves, which arise from the

nasociliary nerve The nasociliary nerve is a branch of the ophthalmic nerve (CN V1) (which is in turn a branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V)). It is intermediate in size between the other two branches of the ophthalmic nerve, the frontal nerve and lacrimal ner ...

, supply the

ethmoidal cell The ethmoid sinuses or ethmoid air cells of the ethmoid bone are one of the four paired paranasal sinuses. Unlike the other three pairs of paranasal sinuses which consist of one or two large cavities, the ethmoidal sinuses entail a number of small ...

s; the posterior branch leaves the orbital cavity through the

posterior ethmoidal foramen Lateral to either olfactory groove are the internal openings of the anterior and posterior ethmoidal foramina (or canals). The posterior ethmoidal foramen opens at the back part of this margin under cover of the projecting lamina of the sphenoi ...

and gives some filaments to the

sphenoidal sinus The sphenoid sinus is a paired paranasal sinus in the Body of sphenoid bone, body of the sphenoid bone. It is one pair of the four paired paranasal sinuses.Illustrated Anatomy of the Head and Neck, Fehrenbach and Herring, Elsevier, 2012, page 64 T ...

. There are two ethmoidal nerves on each side of the face: *

posterior ethmoidal nerve 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, ophthalmic nerve (CN V1)). It provides sensory innervation to the sphenoid sinus and ethmoid sinus, and part o ...

anterior ethmoidal nerve The anterior ethmoidal nerve is a nerve of the head. It is a branch of the nasociliary nerve (itself a branch of the ophthalmic nerve (V1)). It arises in the orbit, and enters first the cranial cavity and then the nasal cavity. It provides sensor ...

References

External links

ufl.edu
Trigeminal nerve {{neuroanatomy-stub Otorhinolaryngology