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Tensor veli palatini
Other Terms:
Muscles of the palate,
Muscles of the palate,
Musculus tensor veli palatini,
Muscle tenseur du voile du palais
Muscle parts
None
Latin name
Musculus tensor veli palatini
Latin muscle parts
None
Group
Branchial arch muscle – first arch (Muscle of soft palate and fauces)
Etymology
The English name for this muscle is the muscle that stretches the veil, or curtain, at the roof of the mouth. The word tensor comes from the Latin verb tendere meaning “to stretch.” The word veli is from the Latin vellum, which means “veil or curtain.” Palatini is the genitive form of the Latin palatum meaning “the roof of the mouth.”
Origin
Scaphoid fossa of the pterygoid process and the spine of the sphenoid bone; membranous wall of the pharyngotympanic tube
Insertion
Loops around the pterygoid hamulus to insert into the palatine aponeurosis and the posterior edge of the horizontal plate of the palatine bone
Action
Bilateral contraction tightens the anterior part of the soft palate; unilateral contraction moves the soft palate to that side; assists in opening the pharyngotympanic tube.
Nerve supply
Mandibular branch of trigeminal nerve (Cranial nerve V)
Blood supply
The middle meningeal artery, a branch of the first part of the maxillary artery, can have small muscular branches that supply the muscle. The accessory meningeal artery, which arises from the middle meningeal artery or directly from the first part of the maxillary artery, has small branches to the muscle.
Latin
Musculus tensor veli palatini
French
Muscle tenseur du voile du palais
