Levator veli palatini
Levator veli palatini
- Latin synonym: Musculus levator veli palatini
- Synonym: Levator veli palatini muscle
Definition
Origin: Temporal bone, Eustachian tube
Insertion: Palatine aponeurosis
Artery: Facial artery
Nerve: Vagus nerve
Action: Elevates soft palate
Description:
The Levator veli palatini (Levator palati) is a thick, rounded muscle situated lateral to the choanae. It arises from the under surface of the apex of the petrous part of the temporal bone and from the medial lamina of the cartilage of the auditory tube. After passing above the upper concave margin of the Constrictor pharyngis superior it spreads out in the palatine velum, its fibers extending obliquely downward and medialward to the middle line, where they blend with those of the opposite side.
References
This definition incorporates text from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy (20th U.S. edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, published in 1918 – from http://www.bartleby.com/107/).
