Quick Facts
Origin: Mandibular nerve.
Course: Runs inferiorly to the deep surface of the medial pterygoid muscle.
Branches: Nerves to tensor tympani and tensor veli palatini muscles and branches to otic ganglion.
Supply: Branchial motor innervation to the medial pterygoid, tensor tympani, and tensor veli palatini muscles.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The nerve to the medial pterygoid muscle is a small nerve that originates as a branch of the main trunk of the mandibular nerve. It splits off the mandibular nerve just distal to the foramen ovale and close to the otic ganglion. Its motor fibers have cell bodies located in the motor nucleus of the trigeminal nerve in the pons.
Course
From its origin, the nerve to the medial pterygoid muscle runs inferiorly to the deep surface of the medial pterygoid muscle.
Branches
Shortly after its origin, the nerve to the medial pterygoid muscle gives off one or more branches that run to the tensor tympani and tensor veli palatini muscles, as well as several small communicating fibers with the more medial otic ganglion.
Supplied Structures
The nerve to the medial pterygoid is a motor nerve. It sends branchial motor efferents to the medial pterygoid, tensor tympani, and tensor veli palatini muscles.
