Mandibular nerve

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Nerve: Mandibular nerve
Mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve.
Mandibular division of trigeminal nerve, seen from the middle line. The small figure is an enlarged view of the otic ganglion.
Latin	n. mandibularis
Gray's	subject #200 893
From	trigeminal nerve
MeSH	Mandibular+Nerve
Dorlands / Elsevier	n_05/12566125

The mandibular nerve (V₃) is the largest of the three branches of the trigeminal nerve.

Contents 1 Structure 1.1 Roots 1.2 Path 1.3 Branches 2 Supplies 3 See also 4 Additional images 5 External links

[edit] Structure

[edit] Roots

It is made up of two roots:

• a large sensory root proceeding from the inferior angle of the trigeminal ganglion.
• a small motor root (the motor part of the trigeminal), which passes beneath the ganglion, and unites with the sensory root, just after its exit through the foramen ovale.

[edit] Path

The two roots (sensory and motor) exit the middle cranial fossa through the foramen ovale. The two roots then combine. The nerve descends, soon splitting into an anterior division and a posterior division.

Immediately in the infratemporal fossa beneath the base of the skull, the nerve gives off two branches from its medial side: a recurrent branch (nervus spinosus) and the nerve to the medial pterygoid muscle. The mandibular nerve then divides into two trunks, an anterior and a posterior.

[edit] Branches

The mandibular nerve gives off the following branches:

• From the main trunk of the nerve (before the division)
  • nervus spinosus (meningeal branch)
  • medial pterygoid nerve
  • nerve to tensor tympani
  • nerve to tensor veli palatini
• From the anterior division
  • masseteric nerve
  • deep temporal nerves (anterior and posterior)
  • buccal nerve (a sensory nerve)
  • lateral pterygoid nerve

• From the posterior division
  • auriculotemporal nerve
  • lingual nerve
  • inferior alveolar nerve
  • motor branch to mylohyoid and anterior belly of digastric muscles (mylohyoid nerve)

The mandibular nerve also gives off branches to the otic ganglion

[edit] Supplies

The mandibular nerve innervates:

• mucous membrane of the anterior two-thirds of the tongue
• the inside of the cheek (the buccal mucosa)
• teeth and gums of the mandible
• skin of the temporal region
• auricula
• lower lip, and chin
• muscles of mastication
• the muscles tensor tympani and tensor veli palatini

[edit] See also

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

[edit] Additional images

Dermatome distribution of the trigeminal nerve

The nerves of the scalp, face, and side of neck.

[edit] External links

• MedEd at Loyola GrossAnatomy/h_n/cn/cn1/cnb3.htm
• SUNY Figs 27:03-02
• Norman/Georgetown cranialnerves (V)

v • d • e Nerves of head and neck: the cranial nerves and nuclei olfactory (AON->I) olfactory bulb - olfactory tract optic (LGN->II) optic chiasm - optic tract oculomotor (ON,EWN->III) superior branch (parasympathetic root of ciliary ganglion/ciliary ganglion) - inferior branch trochlear (TN->IV) no significant branches trigeminal (PSN,TSN,MN,TMN->V) trigeminal ganglion • ophthalmic • maxillary • mandibular abducens (AN->VI) no significant branches facial (FMN,SN,SSN->VII) near origin nervus intermedius • geniculate inside facial canal greater petrosal (pterygopalatine ganglion) - nerve to the stapedius - chorda tympani (lingual nerve, submandibular ganglion) at stylomastoid foramen posterior auricular - suprahyoid (digastric, stylohyoid) - parotid plexus (temporal, zygomatic, buccal, mandibular, cervical) vestibulocochlear (VN,CN->VIII) cochlear (striae medullares, lateral lemniscus) • vestibular (Scarpa's ganglion) glossopharyngeal (NA,ISN,SN->IX) before jugular fossa ganglia (superior, inferior) after jugular fossa tympanic (tympanic plexus, lesser petrosal, otic ganglion) • stylopharyngeal branch • pharyngeal branches • tonsillar branches • lingual branches • carotid sinus vagus (NA,DNVN,SN->X) before jugular fossa ganglia (superior, inferior) after jugular fossa meningeal branch - auricular branch neck pharyngeal branch (pharyngeal plexus) - superior laryngeal (external, internal) - recurrent laryngeal (inferior) - superior cervical cardiac thorax inferior cardiac - pulmonary - vagal trunks (anterior, posterior) abdomen celiac - renal - hepatic - anterior gastric - posterior gastric accessory (NA,SAN->XI) cranial - spinal hypoglossal (HN->XII) lingual branches

v • d • e The cranial nerves: trigeminal nerve ophthalmic (V1) frontal: supratrochlear - supraorbital (lateral branch, medial branch) nasociliary: long ciliary - infratrochlear - posterior ethmoidal - anterior ethmoidal (external nasal, internal nasal) - sensory root of ciliary ganglion (ciliary ganglion) lacrimal maxillary (V2) in meninges middle meningeal in pterygopalatine fossa zygomatic (zygomaticotemporal, zygomaticofacial) - pterygopalatine (pterygopalatine ganglion see below for details) - posterior superior alveolar in infraorbital canal infraorbital nerve: superior alveolar (middle, anterior) - internal nasal branches on face inferior palpebral - external nasal - superior labial (infraorbital plexus) mandibular (V3) in meninges meningeal anterior to muscles of mastication (medial pterygoid/to tensor veli palatini, lateral pterygoid, masseteric, deep temporal) - buccal posterior auriculotemporal (otic ganglion) - lingual (submandibular ganglion) - inferior alveolar (mylohyoid, mental)