Quick Facts
Origin: Pterygopalatine ganglion.
Course: Runs inferiorly through the greater palatine canal and the greater palatine foramen to the hard palate where it courses anteriorly.
Branches: Posterior inferior nasal branches.
Supply: Sensory: primarily conveys general sensation from the mucosa of the hard palate and palatal gingiva; Parasympathetic: innervation to mucosal glands of the same territories.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The greater palatine nerve originates as a branch of the maxillary nerve. It branches off the pterygopalatine ganglion.
Course
From its origin, the greater palatine nerve runs inferiorly through the greater palatine canal. It exits through the greater palatine foramen to reach the hard palate, where it turns and runs anteriorly.
Branches
The greater palatine nerve gives rise to the posterior inferior nasal branches as it descends through the greater palatine canal. The greater palatine nerve itself continues on to the anterior hard palate where it can communicate with the nasopalatine nerve.
Supplied Structures
The greater palatine nerve is a mixed nerve carrying sensory and parasympathetic fibers. The sensory fibers have cell bodies located in the trigeminal ganglion while the parasympathetic fibers originate in the pterygopalatine ganglion.
The sensory fibers convey general sense information from the mucosa of the hard palate and the gingiva adjacent to the hard palate, as well as the mucosa of the posterior and inferior lateral nasal wall via the posterior inferior nasal branches.
The parasympathetic fibers innervate the small mucosal glands of the same territories.
