mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve

The mandibular nerve (V₃) is the largest of the three divisions of the trigeminal nerve, the fifth cranial nerve (CN V).

Structure

The large sensory root emerges from the lateral part of the trigeminal ganglion and exits the cranial cavity through the Foramen ovale (skull), foramen ovale. Portio minor, the small motor root of the trigeminal nerve, passes under the trigeminal ganglion and through the Foramen ovale (skull), 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 muscle, lateral pterygoid, which is lateral, and gives off a Meningeal branch of the mandibular nerve, meningeal branch (nervus spinosus) and the nerve to medial pterygoid from its medial side. The nerve then divides into a small anterior and large posterior trunk.

The anterior division gives off branches to three major muscles of mastication and a buccal nerve, buccal branch which is sensory to the cheek. The posterior division gives off three main sensory branches, the auriculotemporal, lingual nerve, lingual and inferior alveolar nerve, inferior alveolar nerves and motor fibres to supply mylohyoid muscle, mylohyoid and the anterior belly of digastric, anterior belly of the digastric muscle.

Branches

The mandibular nerve gives off the following branches:
* From the main trunk of the nerve (before the division)
** muscular branches, which are efferent nerves for the medial pterygoid muscle, medial pterygoid, tensor tympani, and tensor veli palatini muscles (motor)Illustrated Anatomy of the Head and Neck, Fehrenbach and Herring, Elsevier, 2012, page 181
** Meningeal branch of the mandibular nerve, meningeal branch (a sensory nerve)
* From the anterior division
** masseteric nerve (motor)
** deep temporal nerves, anterior and posterior (motor)
** buccal nerve (a sensory nerve)
** lateral pterygoid nerve (motor)
* From the posterior division
** auriculotemporal nerve (a sensory nerve)
** lingual nerve (a sensory nerve)
** inferior alveolar nerve (which gives off a motor nerve and a sensory nerve)
***mental nerve (sensory branch) and the nerve to mylohyoid (motor branch)

Supplies

The mandibular nerve innervates:

Anterior Division:

(Motor Innervation - Muscles of mastication)
* Masseteric nerve
** Masseter
* Medial pterygoid nerve
** Medial pterygoid muscle, Medial Pterygoid
** Tensor Tympani
* Nerve to tensor veli palatini, Tensor Veli Palatini Nerve
** Tensor Veli Palatini
* nervous spinosus (sensory) from foramen spinosum
* Lateral pterygoid nerve
** Lateral pterygoid muscle, Lateral pterygoid
* Deep temporal nerve
** Temporalis

(Sensory Innervation)
* Buccal nerve
** Inside of the Cheek (buccal mucosa)


Posterior Division

Lingual Split

(Sensory Innervation - NOT Taste)
* Anterior 2/3 of Tongue (mucous membrane)

Inferior Alveolar Split

(Motor Innervation)
* Mylohyoid nerve, Mylohyoid
* Digastric (Anterior Belly)

(Sensory Innervation)
* Teeth and Mucoperiosteum of mandibular teeth
* Chin and lip, Lower Lip

Auriculotemporal Split
* Scalp (pinna (anatomy), auricula / temporal region)

See also

* Ophthalmic nerve
* Maxillary nerve
* Marginal mandibular branch of facial nerve

Additional images

File:Gray784.png, Dermatome distribution of the trigeminal nerve
File:Gray790.png, The nerves of the scalp, face, and side of neck.
File:Slide8nnn.JPG, Mandibular nerve
File:Mandibular nerve 3.jpg, Mandibular nerve

References

External links

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Mandibular nerve,
Trigeminal nerve