Palate

Introduction:
Palate is horizontal partition between oral cavity and Nasal cavity.
• It forms floor of nasal cavity and roof of oral cavity.
Palate is divided in to two parts:
• Hard (bony) palate, anteriorly
• Soft (muscular) palate, posteriorly

Hard Palate
Lies in the roof of the oral cavity and forms the floor of the nasal cavity

It is formed by: (Viva)

 Palatine processes of maxillae in front

 Horizontal plates of palatine bones behind
Bounded on sides by alveolar arches
Posteriorly, it is continuous with soft palate.
Its undersurface covered by mucoperiosteum
Shows transverse ridges in the anterior parts.

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 SOFT PALATE
(***Important Short Note)

(No need to draw this diagram- only for understanding)

(Draw this Diagram for the short note)

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 (Draw this Diagram for the short note)

Introduction: It is movable muscular fold suspended from post border of hard palate.
It separates nasopharynx from oropharynx
It is like traffic controller
Features:
2 surfaces: Anterioinferior surface related to tongue and Posterosuperior surface is facing
towards pharynx.
2 borders: Superior border attached to posterior border of hard palate and Inferior border is
free.
2 folds of mucous membrane:
 Palatoglossal fold from plate to tongue formed by Palatoglossus muscle
 Palatopharyngeal fold from palate to lateral wall of pharynx formed by
palatopharyngeus muscle.

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Muscles of soft palate: (Viva and short Questions)

Palatine aponeurosis

(No need to draw this diagram- only for understanding)

(Draw this Diagram for the short note)

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Tensor veli palatini (Tensor palati)
Origin: spine of sphenoid, scaphoid fossa, auditory tube
Insertion: forms palatine aponeurosis which is attached to(a) Posterior border of hard
palate(b)Inf surface of palate behind palatine crest
(Palatine Aponeurosis is fibrous sheath attached to posterior border of hard palate. It is
flattened tendon of tensor vellipalatini. It splits to enclose musculusuvulae and gives origin &
insertion to palatine muscles.)
Action: Tenses soft palate, opens auditory tube

Levator veli palatini (Levator palati)

Origin: petrous temporal bone, auditory tube, Enters pharynx by passing over the upper
concave margin of sup constrictor
Insertion: palatine aponeurosis
Action: Raises soft palate also dilates auditory tube

Musculus uvulae
Origin: posterior nasal spine
Insertion: mucosa of uvula
Action: Elevates uvula

Palatopharyngeus
2 fasciculi (Parts)
Origin: Anterior Fasciculus Post border of hard palate and Posterior fasciculus: palatine
aponeurosis
Insertion: posterior border of thyroid cartilage
Action: Elevates wall of the pharynx

Palatoglossus
Origin: palatine aponeurosis
Insertion: side of tongue
Action: pulls root of tongue upward, narrowing oropharyngeal isthmus
All the muscles, except tensor veli palatini, are supplied by the Pharyngeal plexus

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Tensor veli palatini is supplied by Nerve to medial pterygoid, a branch of the mandibular
division of the trigeminal nerve.

(Draw this Diagram for the short note)

Blood Supply:
ARTERIES:
Greater palatine branch of the maxillary artery
Ascending palatine, branch of the facial artery
Palatine br of Ascending pharyngeal, branch of the external carotid artery
VEINS:
Pterygoid and tonsillar plexus of veins
LYMPHATICS:
Upper deep cervical & retropharyngeal lymphnodes

Sensory Nerve Supply

General Sensory: Mostly by the maxillary nerve through its branches: Middle lesser palatine
nerve, Posterior lesser palatine nerve
Special Sensory: For taste sensations: lesser palatine nerves>> greater petrosal nerve>>
geniculate ganglion >>facial nerve >>nucleus of solitary tract.

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Secretomotor: Lesser palatine nerves .Derived from sup salivatory nucleus Travel through
greater petrosal nerves branch of facial nerve

Motor Nerve Supply:

All the muscles, except tensor veli palatini, are supplied by the Pharyngeal plexus
Tensor veli palatini supplied by the:Nerve to medial pterygoid, a branch of the mandibular
division of the trigeminal nerve
Passavants Ridge: Upper fibres of palatopharyngeus raises a ridge.
Morphology: It is undescended part of palatopharyngeus: Best developed in cleft palate
patient to compensate the gap in palate.

Movements & functions of Soft palate:

Controls 2 gates oral cavity and pharynx
Isolates mouth from Oropharynx during chewing
Separates Oropharynx from nasopharynx
Vary degree of closure of pharyngeal isthmus to modify quality of voice
Helps dividing force during coughing and sneezing

Clinical Notes:
Cleft palate: may be associated with cleft lip (Most important applied aspect)
Unilateral, Bilateral, Median cleft palate
Paralysis of the soft palate: The pharyngeal isthmus can not be closed during swallowing and
speech. It leads to nasal regurgitation, nasal twang in voice and flattening of Palatoglossal arch
Perforation of hard palate in Tertiary syphilis

(No need to draw this diagram- only for understanding)

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 (No need to draw this diagram- only for understanding)

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