Atlas of Human Anatomy by Netter

b. Represents line of fusion of embryonic palatal plates

Soft palate posteriorly

Moveable posterior third suspended from hard palate

No bony skeleton

Attaches to hard palate via aponeurotic palate

a. Expanded tendineus aponeurosis of tensor veli palatini muscles

b. Thick anteriorly

Muscular palate (tensor veli palatini) posteriorly

Posterior curved free margin has conical projection: uvula

Anatomical features related to the soft palate

Arches

Join soft palate to tongue and pharynx

Palatoglossal arch

a. Mucosal fold

b. Contains palatoglossus muscle

Palatopharyngeal arch

a. Mucosal fold

b. Posterior to palatoglossal arch

c. Contains palatoglossus muscle

Form anterior and posterior boundaries of tonsillar fossa on either side

Tonsillar fossae

Contain palatine tonsils

Masses of lymphoid tissue between arches

Fauces

Term for passage from oral cavity to oropharynx

Bounded by

a. Soft palate superiorly

b. Root of tongue inferiorly

c. Palatoglossal and palatopharyngeal arches laterally

Muscles of soft palate

Four paired muscles descend from base of brain to palate

Levator veli palatine elevates soft palate during swallowing, opens auditory tube

Tensor veli palatini tenses soft palate during swallowing

Palatoglossus elevates posterior tongue

Palatopharyngeus tenses soft palate and pulls pharynx superiorly and anteriorly during swallowing

Unpaired musculus uvulae shortens uvula

Swallowing and the palate

Complex mechanism

Soft palate tenses to allow tongue to press against it

Tongue squeezes bolus of food to back of oral cavity

Soft palate elevates superiorly and posteriorly to prevent back flush of food into nasal cavity

Arterial supply

Branches of descending palatine artery on each side

Greater palatine artery

Lesser palatine artery

Ascending palatine artery from facial artery

Venous drainage via pterygoid venous plex

Lymphatic drainage: deep cervical nodes

Innervation

Sensory from pterygopalatine ganglion (from CN V 2 )

Greater palatine nerve to hard palate

Nasopalatine nerve to anterior hard palate

Lesser palatine nerve to soft palate

Motor

Tensor veli palatini innervated by medial pterygoid nerve from otic ganglion (CN V 3 )

All other muscles by cranial root of spinal accessory nerve (CN XI) via pharyngeal plexus

Muscle Origin Insertion InnervationBlood supply Main actions

Levator veli

palatini

Temporal (petrous

portion) bone

Palatine

aponeurosis

Vagus

nerve via

pharyngeal

plexus

Ascending palatine artery

branch of facial artery and

descending palatine artery

branch of maxillary artery

Elevates soft palate during

swallowing

Tensor veli

palatini

Scaphoid fossa of

medial pterygoid plate,

spine of sphenoid, and

auditory tube

Palatine

aponeurosis

Mandibular

nerve

Ascending palatine artery

branch of facial artery and

descending palatine artery

branch of maxillary artery

Tenses soft palate and

opens auditory tube during

swallowing and yawning

PalatopharyngeusHard palate and superior

palatine aponeurosis

Lateral

pharyngeal

wall

Vagus

nerve via

pharyngeal

plexus

Ascending palatine artery

branch of facial artery and

descending palatine artery

branch of maxillary artery

Tenses soft palate; pulls

walls of pharynx superiorly,

anteriorly, and medially

during swallowing

Musculus uvulae Nasal spine and palatine

aponeurosis

Mucosa of

uvula

Vagus

nerve via

pharyngeal

plexus

Ascending palatine artery

branch of facial artery and

descending palatine artery

branch of maxillary artery

Shortens, elevates, and

retracts uvula

Salivary Glands