The nasopalatine nerve (also long sphenopalatine nerve) is a

nerve A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons). Nerves have historically been considered the basic units of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the Electrochemistry, electrochemical nerv ...

of the head. It is a sensory branch of the

maxillary nerve In neuroanatomy, the maxillary nerve (V) is one of the three branches or divisions of the trigeminal nerve, the fifth (CN V) cranial nerve. It comprises the principal functions of Sense, sensation from the maxilla, nasal cavity, Sinus (anatomy ...

(CN V₂) that passes through the

pterygopalatine ganglion The pterygopalatine ganglion (aka Meckel's ganglion, nasal ganglion, or sphenopalatine ganglion) is a parasympathetic ganglion in the pterygopalatine fossa. It is one of four parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck, (the others being the s ...

(without synapsing) and then through the

sphenopalatine foramen The sphenopalatine foramen is a foramen of the skull that connects the nasal cavity and the pterygopalatine fossa. It gives passage to the sphenopalatine artery, nasopalatine nerve, and the superior nasal nerve (all passing from the pterygopala ...

to enter the

nasal cavity The nasal cavity is a large, air-filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face. The nasal septum divides the cavity into two cavities, also known as fossae. Each cavity is the continuation of one of the two nostrils. The nas ...

, and finally out of the nasal cavity through the

incisive canal The incisive canals (also: "''nasopalatine canals''") are two bony canals of the anterior hard palate connecting the nasal cavity and the oral cavity. An incisive canal courses through each maxilla. Below, the two incisive canals typically converg ...

and then the

incisive fossa In the human mouth, the incisive foramen (also known as: "''anterior palatine foramen''", or "''nasopalatine foramen''") is the opening of the incisive canals on the hard palate immediately behind the incisor teeth. It gives passage to blood vesse ...

to enter the

hard palate The hard palate is a thin horizontal bony plate made up of two bones of the facial skeleton, located in the roof of the mouth. The bones are the palatine process of the maxilla and the horizontal plate of palatine bone. The hard palate spans ...

. It provides sensory innervation to the posteroinferior part of the

nasal septum The nasal septum () separates the left and right airways of the Human nose, nasal cavity, dividing the two nostrils. It is Depression (kinesiology), depressed by the depressor septi nasi muscle. Structure The fleshy external end of the nasal s ...

, and gingiva just posterior to the upper incisor teeth. The nasopalatine nerve is the largest of the medial posterior superior nasal nerves.

Structure

Course

It exits the

pterygopalatine fossa In human anatomy, the pterygopalatine fossa (sphenopalatine fossa) is a fossa in the skull. A human skull contains two pterygopalatine fossae—one on the left side, and another on the right side. Each fossa is a cone-shaped paired depression dee ...

through the

to enter the

. It passes across the roof of the

below the orifice of 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 ...

to reach the posterior part of the

. It passes anteroinferiorly upon the nasal septum along a groove upon the

vomer The vomer (; ) is one of the unpaired facial bones of the skull. It is located in the midsagittal line, and articulates with the sphenoid, the ethmoid, the left and right palatine bones, and the left and right maxillary bones. The vomer forms ...

, running between the

periosteum The periosteum is a membrane that covers the outer surface of all bones, except at the articular surfaces (i.e. the parts within a joint space) of long bones. (At the joints of long bones the bone's outer surface is lined with "articular cartila ...

and mucous membrane of the lower part of the nasal septum. It then passes through the

by descending through the

to reach the roof of the mouth.

Distribution

The nasopalatine nerve provides sensory innervation to the posteroinferior portion of the

, and the anterior-most portion of the

(i.e. the

gingiva The gums or gingiva (: gingivae) consist of the mucosal tissue that lies over the mandible and maxilla inside the mouth. Gum health and disease can have an effect on general health. Structure The gums are part of the soft tissue lining of the ...

/mucous membrane of the palate just posterior to the upper

incisors Incisors (from Latin ''incidere'', "to cut") are the front teeth present in most mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and on the mandible below. Humans have a total of eight (two on each side, top and bottom). Opossums have 18, wher ...

Communications

The nasopalatine nerve communicates with the corresponding nerve of the opposite side and with the

greater palatine nerve The greater palatine nerve is a branch of the pterygopalatine ganglion. This nerve is also referred to as the anterior palatine nerve, due to its location anterior to the lesser palatine nerve. It carries both general sensory fibres from the ma ...

Clinical significance

The nasopalatine nerve may be anaesthetised in order to perform

surgery Surgery is a medical specialty that uses manual and instrumental techniques to diagnose or treat pathological conditions (e.g., trauma, disease, injury, malignancy), to alter bodily functions (e.g., malabsorption created by bariatric surgery s ...

on the

or the

soft palate The soft palate (also known as the velum, palatal velum, or muscular palate) is, in mammals, the soft biological tissue, tissue constituting the back of the roof of the mouth. The soft palate is part of the palate of the mouth; the other part is ...

History

The nasopalatine nerve was first identified by

Domenico Cotugno Domenico Felice Antonio Cotugno (January 29, 1736 – October 6, 1822) was an Italian people, Italian physician. Biography Born at Ruvo di Puglia (Province of Bari, Apulia) into a family of humble means, Cotugno underwent physical and economic ...

Structure

Course

Distribution

Communications

Clinical significance

History

Additional images

See also

References

External links