52 Palate

Hard palate Overview

• Separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity

• Formed by the palatine processes of the maxillae (anterior ¾) and the horizontal processes of the palatine bones (posterior ¼)

• Superiorly covered my respiratory mucosa //pseudostratified

• Inferiorly covered by oral mucosa forming

  • Palatine raphe (median longitudinal ridge)

  • Palatine rugae (transverse palatine folds)

  • Incisive papilla (behind the incisors)

Soft palate Overview

Tensor veli palatini

Levator veli palatini

Palatopharyngeal + palatoglossal arches

Palatopharyngeus

Palatoglossus

Musculus uvulae

Innervation of palate

Nasopalatine n.

• Y-shaped opening from both sides of nasal septum

• pass through sphenopalatine foramen → enter nasal cavity

• pass through incisive canal (incisive foramen) → exits nasal cavity

• innervate anterior hard palate

Greater palatine n. //CN XI

• pass through palatine canal → enter greater palatine foramen

• innervation destinations

  • mucosa + glands of hard palate

  • gingiva //until first premolar tooth

• branches

  • posterior inferior nasal n.

Lesser palatine n. // CN X branches

• pass through palatine canal → enter lesser palatine foramen

• innervation destination

  • mucosa + glands of soft palate

  • nasal cavity

Innervation of palatine glands

Greater petrosal n.

• parasympathetic //CN VII

• preganglionic axon

• supplies anterior hard palate glands

Deep petrosal n.

• sympathetic

• postganglionic axon

  • synapse @ superior cervical sympathetic ganglion

Ascending palatine a.

Supplies soft palate

• branch from facial a.

• ascends along external surface of pharynx

• loops over top of superior constrictor m. + penetrates pharyngeal fascia

• follows levator veli palatini to soft palate

Palatine branch

Supplies soft palate

• from ascending pharyngeal a.

• loops over top of superior constrictor m.

• follows levator veli palatini to soft palate

Descending palatine a.

Supplies hard + soft palate

• passes through palatine canal w palatine nerves //running buddies

• pass through greater + lesser palatine foramina as lesser + greater palatine a. → enters oral surface of palate

• greater palatine a. branches into incisive canal for nasal cavity

Veins of palate

• veins follow arteries

• drains into pterygoid plexus + pharyngeal plexus

Lymphatics of palate

• drains into deep cervical nodes

• deep cervical nodes drain into IJV