Tensor veli palatini muscle
Dissection of the muscles of the palate from behind. (Tens. val. pal. visible at upper right.)
The otic ganglion and its branches. (Tensor veli palatini visible at center left.)
Latin	musculus tensor veli palatini
Gray's	subject #243 1139
Origin	medial pterygoid plate of the sphenoid bone
Insertion	palatine aponeurosis
Artery
Nerve	medial pterygoid of mandibular nerve
Actions	tension of the soft palate

The tensor veli palatini (tensor palati) is a broad, thin, ribbon-like muscle in the head that tenses the soft palate.

Contents 1 Structure 2 Innervation 3 Actions 4 Additional images 5 See also 6 External links

[edit] Structure

The tensor veli palatini is found anterior-lateral to the levator veli palatini muscle.

It arises by a flat lamella from the scaphoid fossa at the base of the medial pterygoid plate, from the spina angularis of the sphenoid and from the lateral wall of the cartilage of the auditory tube.

Descending vertically between the medial pterygoid plate and the medial pterygoid muscle, it ends in a tendon which winds around the pterygoid hamulus, being retained in this situation by some of the fibers of origin of the medial pterygoid muscle.

Between the tendon and the hamulus is a small bursa.

The tendon then passes medialward and is inserted into the palatine aponeurosis and into the surface behind the transverse ridge on the horizontal part of the palatine bone.

[edit] Innervation

The tensor veli palatini is innervated by the medial pterygoid nerve, a branch of mandibular nerve, the third branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V).

[edit] Actions

It is associated both with mastication and with the opening of the Eustachian tube through its function of tensing the palate.

[edit] Additional images

Base of skull. Inferior surface.

Mandibular division of trifacial nerve, seen from the middle line.

[edit] See also

• Levator veli palatini

[edit] External links

• LUC tvp

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 As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.

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v • d • e List of muscles of head and neck: the head (TA A04.1, GA 4.378) Extraocular (CN III, IV, VI) oblique (inferior, superior) · rectus (superior, inferior, medial, lateral) · levator palpebrae superioris (superior tarsal) Mastication (CN V3) masseter · temporalis (sphenomandibularis) · pterygoid (lateral, medial) fascia: Masseteric fascia · Temporal fascia Facial (CN VII) Ear auricular (anterior, superior, posterior) · temporoparietalis Scalp/eyelid occipitofrontalis (occipitalis, frontalis) · orbicularis oculi (depressor supercilii) · corrugator supercilii fascia: Galea aponeurotica Nose procerus · nasalis (dilatator naris) · depressor septi nasi  · levator labii superioris alaeque nasi Mouth levator anguli oris · levator labii superioris · zygomaticus (major, minor) orbicularis oris · risorius · buccinator depressor anguli oris · depressor labii inferioris · mentalis Mouth/throat (CN IX, X, XI) (except TVP=V3) Soft palate veli palatini (tensor, levator) · musculus uvulae · palatopharyngeus (to pharynx) · palatoglossus (to tongue) Tongue (CN XII) extrinsic (genioglossus, hyoglossus/chondroglossus, styloglossus, and palatoglossus) · intrinsic (superior longitudinal, inferior longitudinal, transverse, vertical)