Posterior superior alveolar nerve Information & Posterior superior alveolar nerve Links at HealthHaven.com

Nerve: Posterior superior alveolar nerve
	Distribution of the maxillary and mandibular nerves, and the submaxillary ganglion. (Posterior sup. alveolar labeled at center.)
Latin	rami alveolares superiores posteriores nervi maxillaris
Gray's	subject #200 890
Innervates	maxillary sinus, molars, dental alveolus

The posterior superior alveolar branches (posterior superior dental branches) arise from the trunk of the maxillary nerve just before it enters the infraorbital groove; they are generally two in number, but sometimes arise by a single trunk.

They 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.

They then enter the posterior alveolar canals on the infratemporal surface of the 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 gingival and dental branches to each molar tooth from a superior dental plexus; these branches enter the foramina at the apices of the roots of the teeth.

The posterior superior alveolar nerve innervates the second and third maxillary molars, and two of the three roots of the maxillary first molar (all but the mesiobuccal root). When giving a Posterior Superior Alveolar nerve block, it will anesthetize the mesialbuccal root of the maxillary first molar approximately 72% of the time.

[edit] See also

[edit] Additional images

Left maxilla. Outer surface.

[edit] External links

cranialnerves at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (V)
lesson9 at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (latnasalwall4)
MedEd at Loyola GrossAnatomy/h_n/cn/cn1/cnb2.htm

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 As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.

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