The document discusses the soft palate, including its: 1) Anatomy as a mucous covered fibro-muscular curtain between the nasal and oral cavities with three regions; 2) Five muscles including the tensor and levator veli palatini; 3) Blood supply from branches of the maxillary, facial, and ascending pharyngeal arteries; 4) Nerve supply including motor innervation from the vagus and sensory innervation from the maxillary and glossopharyngeal nerves.

1. SOFT PALATE for MBBS
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2. SOFT PALATE
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MUHAMMED ASIF Dept. Of Anat, YMC, Mangalore

3. • Soft palate (5marks)
– Introduction
– Muscles
– Development
– Clinical anatomy
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4.  Mucous covered fibro-musculo-glandular curtain.
 Present at the posterior margin of hard palate.
 Extends backwards & downwards between the nasal & oral
parts of the pharynx. It has
1. Anterior third is fibrous.
2. Middle third is muscular.
3. Posterior third is glandular.
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5. • Soft palate encloses following
 Palatine aponeusosis
 Muscles:
1) Tensor veli palatini.
2) Levator veli palatini.
3) Musculus uvulae.
4) Palatoglossus.
5) Palatopharyngeus.
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6. Oral surface of soft palate
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7.  External feature :
• Two borders : Superior and Inferior .
• Two surfaces : Anterior and Posterior.
– Superior border
• is attached to the posterior border of the hard palate.
– Inferior border is free ,
• a conical tongue like small projection called uvula.
• Each side of uvula : two mucous membrane folds
1) palatoglossus fold.
2) palatopharyngeal fold.
• Anterior (oral) surface : concave and marked by a median raphe.
• Posterior surface : convex and continuous with nasal cavity.
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11. • Origin:
– Posterior nasal spine of
the hard palate.
• Insertion:
– Submucous tissue of
the base of the uvula.
• Action:
– Pulls forward.
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12. • Arterial supply:
– Greater palatine branch of maxillary artery.
– Ascending palatine branch of facial artery.
– Palatine branch of ascending pharyngeal artery.
• Veins:
– Drain into pharyngeal venous plexus.via para-tonsillar veins.
• Lymphatic drainage:
- Drains into retropharyngeal, upper group of deep cervical
lymph nodes.
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13.  Nerve supply :
• Motor :
1) All the muscles are supplied by cranial root of spinal accessory via
vagus nerve .
2) Except the tensor veli palatini supplied by medial pterygoid , a branch of
mandibular nerve.
• Sensory:
– General supply :
1. lesser palatine nerve (maxillary nerve) through pterygopalatine
ganglion.
2. Glossopharyngeal nerve.
– secretomotor nerves : lesser palatine nerve.
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14. Clinical aspects
• Paralysis of the soft palate
– Nasal regurgitation of fluids
– Disturbance of the voice
– Flattening of the palatal arch
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15. 1. Plays an important role in chewing swallowing, speech,
coughing, sneezing etc.
2. Isolates the mouth from the oropharynx during chewing so that
breathing is unaffected.
3. Separates the oropharynx from the nasopharynx during the 2nd
stage of the swallowing so that food does not enter the nose.
4. By varying the degree of closure of the pharyngeal isthmus, the
quality of voice can be modified.
Movements and functions of the soft palate:
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16. Development of soft palate
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17. Development of soft palate
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18. Development
• Embryologically palate consists of
two parts.
• Primitive and permanent.
1. Primitive palate carries the four
incisor teeth and
develop from the fusion of globular
swelling of the
median nasal process and maxillary
process.
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19. Development-
• Permanent palate lies behind
the primitive palate
• It is developed from fusion of the
palatine process of both maxilla
across the midline.
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20. Development-
• Ventral 3/4th of the permanent
palate which fuses with nasal
septum & ossifies, forms the
hard palate.
• Dorsal 1/4th of the permanent
palate does not fuse with the
lower edge of nasal septum, not
ossified and forms the soft
palate.
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