Levator veli palatini
Dissection of the muscles of the palate from behind. (Caption for Levator veli palatini visible at right, second from the top.)
External and middle ear, opened from the front. Right side. (Levator veli palatini visible at bottom right.)
Latin	musculus levator veli palatini
Gray's	subject #243 1139
Origin	temporal bone, Eustachian tube
Insertion	palatine aponeurosis
Artery	facial artery
Nerve	Vagus (CN X)
Actions	elevates soft palate

The levator veli palatini is the elevator muscle of the velum palatinum in the human body. During swallowing, it contracts, elevating the soft palate to help prevent food from entering the nasopharynx. It is innervated via the pharyngeal plexus, primarily by the vagus nerve (CN X).

The Levator veli palatini (Levator palati) is athick, rounded muscle situated lateral to the choanæ.

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 medially to the middle line, where they blend with those of the opposite side.

[edit] Additional images

Left temporal bone. Inferior surface.

[edit] External links

• LUC lvp
• -147521459 at GPnotebook
• levator+veli+palatini+muscle at eMedicine Dictionary
• Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator, at Elsevier 25420.000-1

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.

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