Origin

A musculus uvula (Slide 1, Slide 2 and Slide 3) arises from the posterior nasal spine at the back
of the hard palate and from the palatine aponeurosis.

Insertion

It passes backwards and downwards to insert into the mucosa of the uvula.

Nerve Supply

Its innervation and vasculature is similar to that of the levator veli palatini muscle. The nerve
supply to the muscle is derived from the cranial part of the accessory nerve via the pharyngeal
plexus.

Vasculature

The blood supply is derived from the ascending palatine branch of the facial artery and the
descending palatine branch of the maxillary artery.

Action

The musculus uvula moves the uvula upwards and laterally. The uvula is a median conical
process, which projects downwards from the posterior border of the soft palate.

Soft Palate

The soft palate is a mobile flap suspended from the posterior border of the hard palate. It slopes
down and back between the oral and nasal part of the pharynx where it hangs free. The sides
blend with the pharyngeal walls. It is a thick fold of mucosa enclosing an aponeurosis, muscular
tissue, vessels, nerves, lymphoid tissue and mucous glands. The tensor veli palatini, the levator
veli palatini, the palatoglossus, and the palatopharyngeus muscles alter the position and shape of
the fibrous aponeurosis of the soft palate. The musculature of the soft palate also includes the
musculus uvulae. The posterior aspect is convex and continuous with the nasal floor.

A median conical process, the uvula, projects downwards from the medial part of the posterior
border. The palatal arches are two curved folds of mucosa containing muscle, which descend
laterally from each side of the palate. The anterior of these, the palatoglossal arch, contains the
palatoglossus muscle, and descends on the side of the tongue at the junction of its oral and
pharyngeal parts, forming the lateral limits of the oropharyngeal isthmus. The posterior
palatopharyngeal arch contains the palatopharyngeus muscle, and descends on the lateral wall of
the oropharynx.

The greater palatine branch of the maxillary artery, the ascending palatine branch of the facial
artery and the palatine branch of the ascending pharyngeal artery are the arteries that supply the
soft palate. The veins that drain the soft palate are the pterygoid and tonsillar plexuses and the
lymph is drained into the deep cervical lymph nodes.

Nerve Supply

The greater and lesser palatine and nasopalatine branches of the maxillary nerves and the
glossopharyngeal nerve supply the sensory innervation. The lesser palatine nerve also contains
taste fibers of facial nerve origin, which supply the taste buds in the oral surface of the soft palate.
The parasympathetic postganglionic secretomotor fibers that arise from the facial nerve via the
pterygopalatine ganglion run with these nerves to the palatine mucous glands. Sympathetic fibers
run from the carotid plexus along the arterial branches.