Posterior Gastric Branches of Posterior Vagal Trunk

Origin

The posterior gastric branches of the posterior vagal trunk are branches of the posterior vagal trunk. It is a mixed nerve that contains visceral sensory fibers originate in several layers of the stomach and parasympathetic efferent fibers originating in the posterior nucleus of the vagus nerve within the medulla oblongata (Ratcliffe, Farrar and Fox, 2011).

Course

The posterior gastric branches of the posterior vagal trunk run from the lower posterior esophageal region along the posterior cardia, body, and posterior lesser curvature of the stomach. They branch to form several smaller branches, each of which distributes to supply the posterior fundus and body of the stomach.

The main posterior gastric branch, named the posterior nerve of the lesser curvature, terminates on the posterior surface of the lesser curvature of the stomach by splitting into a crow’s foot formation at the level of the pyloric antrum.

Branches

The main continuation of the posterior gastric branches which follows the lesser curvature of the stomach, and from which some posterior gastric branches arise, is called the posterior nerve of the lesser curvature.

Supplied Structures

The posterior gastric branches of the posterior vagal trunk are mixed nerves that convey both visceral sensory fibers and parasympathetic efferent fibers. The visceral sensory fibers convey afferent information from the posterior stomach. The parasympathetic efferent fibers innervate the smooth muscle and secretory cells of the posterior stomach (Paxinos, 2012).

List of Clinical Correlates

—Gastric dysfunction resulting from loss of vagal input to the GI system

References

Paxinos, G. (2012) The Human Nervous System. Elsevier Science.

Ratcliffe, E. M., Farrar, N. R. and Fox, E. A. (2011) 'Development of the vagal innervation of the gut: steering the wandering nerve', Neurogastroenterology and motility : the official journal of the European Gastrointestinal Motility Society, 23(10), pp. 898-911.