Posterior superior alveolar nerve
Nervus alveolaris superior posterior
- Synonym: Posterior superior dental nerve
- Related terms: Posterior superior alveolar branches
Definition
The posterior superior alveolar nerve (rami alveolares superiores posteriores; posterior superior dental branches of a maxillary nerve) arise from the trunk of the maxillary nerve in the pterygopalatine fossa, just before it enters the infraorbital groove. The posterior superior alveolar nerve is generally divided into two branches, but sometime arises by a single trunk.
Theses two branches descend on the tuberosity of the maxilla and give off several twigs to the gums and neighboring parts of the mucous membrane of the cheek.
The posterior superior alveolar nerve the give several individual branches that enter in the small alveolar canals by the alveolar foramina on the infratemporal surface of maxilla , and, passing from behind forward in the substance of the bone, communicate with the middle superior alveolar nerve, and give off branches to the lining membrane of the maxillary sinus and three twigs to each molar tooth; these twigs enter the foramina at the apices of the roots of the teeth.
References
Text by Antoine Micheau, MD - Copyright IMAIOS
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/).
