Nerve to medial pterygoid

The nerve to medial pterygoid or medial pterygoid nerve is a branch of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve.

Gross anatomy

The nerve to medial pterygoid divides off the mandibular division just below the foramen ovale and just before it branches into anterior and posterior divisons. It has two small branches:

• one enters the deep surface of the medial pterygoid muscle and supplies it
• the other passes close to the otic ganglion and supplies the tensor veli palatini and tensor tympani muscles