Anatomy · MU Sofia

PNS · 198. Mandibular nerve (V3).

Covers the mandibular nerve, the largest and third division of the trigeminal nerve, which exits the skull through the foramen ovale and splits into anterior and posterior divisions. It lists the motor muscles supplied, the branches arising from the main trunk and from each division, and their sensory territories, including the lingual, inferior alveolar and auriculotemporal nerves. A labelled picture of the nerve's course accompanies the text.

Inside: 3 sections · 1 labelled picture · 10 flashcards · 2 min

Topic 182 of 264 in the MU Sofia syllabus for Anatomy (Dental Medicine, Year 2). The free AceMed note covers it in 3 sections, about 223 words (2 min of reading), with 10 flashcards.

In this note

  1. MANDIBULAR NERVE [V3]
  2. Course :
  3. Branches :

MANDIBULAR NERVE [V3]

* The largest branch.

  • The mandibular nerve is the last (3rd) division of the trigeminal ganglion
  • Somatic motor axons of the trigeminal nerve are part of the mandibular n. & supply muscles of mastication, medial pterygoid ; lateral pterygoid , ant. belly of digastric m. and mylohyoid muscle.

Course :

  • The mandibular nerve exits the skull through the foramen⁽¹⁾ ovale.
  • After the nerve exits through the foramen ovale, it splits up into a posterior & anterior division.

Branches :

From the anterior division :

  1. 1. Deep temporal nerves.
  2. 2. Buccal n. (sensory)
  • ↳ Innervates the skin & mucose membrane of the cheek.
  1. 3. Masseteric n. (motor)
  • ↳ Inn : the masseter muscle.
  1. 4. lateral pterygoid n. (motor).

Branches from the main trunk (before division) :

  1. 1. Nervous spinousum n. (sensory)
  • ↳ re-enter the cranial cavity through foramen spinousum.
  1. 2. Medial pterygoid n. (motor).

From the posterior division :

  1. 1. Lingual n. (sensory)
  • ↳ Innervates the anterior 2/3 of the tongue (except for the taste buds on the posterior third). & the floor of the mouth.
  1. 2. Inferior Alveolar n (mixed)
  • ↳ Enter the mandibular foramen, then transverse the mandibular canal & terminate by dividing into 2 br.
  1. 1.2. Mental n.
  2. 2.2. Incisive n.
  3. 3. Mylohyoid n. (motor)
  4. 4. Auriculotemporal n. (sensory)
  • ↳ Provides sensory innervation to the temporomandibular joint, external ear, and the skin over the tample.

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