Muscles of the Soft Palate

The Levator Veli Palatini (Levator Palati)

• Superior attachment: cartilage of the auditory tube and petrous part of temporal bone.
• Inferior attachment: palatine aponeurosis.
• Innervation: pharyngeal branch of vagus via pharyngeal plexus.

• This cylindrical muscle runs inferoanteriorly, spreading out in the soft palate, where it attaches to the superior surface of the palatine aponeurosis.

• It elevates the soft palate, drawing it superiorly and posteriorly.
• It also opens the auditory tube to equalise air pressure in the middle ear and pharynx.

The Tensor Veli Palatini (Tensor Palati)

• Superior attachment: scaphoid fossa of medial pterygoid plate, spine of sphenoid bone, and cartilage of auditory tube.
• Inferior attachment: palatine aponeurosis.
• Innervation: medial pterygoid nerve (a branch of the mandibular nerve).

• This thin, triangular muscle passes inferiorly, and hooks around the hamulus of the medial pterygoid plate.
• It then inserts into the palatine aponeurosis.

• This muscle tenses the soft palate by using the hamulus as a pulley.
• It also pulls the membranous portion of the auditory tube open to equalise air pressure of the middle ear and pharynx.

The Palatoglossus Muscle

• Superior attachment: palatine aponeurosis.
• Inferior attachment: side of tongue.
• Innervation: cranial part of accessory nerve (CN XI) through the pharyngeal branch of vagus (CN X) via the pharyngeal plexus.

• This muscle, covered by mucous membrane, forms the palatoglossal arch.

• The palatoglossus elevates the posterior part of the tongue and draws the soft palate inferiorly onto the tongue.

• Superior attachment: hard palatThe Palatopharyngeus Musclee and palatine aponeurosis.
• Inferior attachment: lateral wall of pharynx.
• Innervation: cranial part of accessory nerve (CN XI) through the pharyngeal branch of vagus (CN X) via the pharyngeal plexus.

• This thin, flat muscle is covered with mucous membrane to form the palatopharyngeal arch.
• It passes posteroinferiorly in this arch.

• This muscle tenses the soft palate and pulls the walls of the pharynx superiorly, anteriorly and medially during swallowing.

The Musculus Uvulae

• Superior attachment: posterior nasal spine and palatine aponeurosis.
• Inferior attachment: mucosa of uvula.
• Innervation: cranial part of accessory through the pharyngeal branch of vagus, via the pharyngeal plexus.

• It passes posteriorly on each side of the median plane and inserts into the mucosa of the uvula.
• When the muscle contracts, it shortens the uvula and pulls it superiorly.

The Lateral Wall of the Orbit

• This wall is thick, particularly its posterior part, which separates the orbit from the middle cranial fossa.
• The lateral wall is formed by the frontal process of the zygomatic bone and the greater wing of the sphenoid bone.

• Anteriorly, the lateral wall lies between the orbit and the temporal fossa.

• The lateral wall is partially separated from the roof by the superior orbital fissure.

• The tongue is divided into halves by a medial fibrous lingual septum that lies deep to the medial groove.
• In each half of the tongue there are four extrinsic and four intrinsic muscles.

• The lingual muscles are all supplied by the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII).
• The only exception is palatoglossus, which is supplied by the pharyngeal branch of the vagus nerve, via the pharyngeal plexus.

BONE

 A rigid form of CT, Consists of matrix and cells

 Matrix contains:

 organic component 35% collagen fibres

 inorganic salts 65% calcium phosphate (58,5%),  calcium carbonate (6,5%)

2 types of bone - spongy (concellous)

 compact (dense)

 Microscopic elements are the same

 Spongy bone consists of bars (trabeculae) which branch and unite to form a meshwork

 Spaces are filled with bone marrow

 Compact bone appears solid but has microscopic spaces

 In long bones the shaft is compact bone

 And the ends (epiphysis) consists of spongy bone covered with compact bone

Flat bones consists of 2 plates of compact bone with spongy bone in-between

 Periosteum covers the bone

 Endosteum lines marrow cavity and spaces

 These 2 layers play a role in the nutrition of bone tissue

 They constantly supply the bone with new osteoblasts for the repair and growth of bone

Microscopically

 The basic structural unit of bone is the Haversian system or osteon

 An osteon consists of a central Haversian canal

- In which lies vessels nerves and loose CT

- Around the central canal lies rings of lacunae

- A lacuna is a space in the matrix in which lies the osteocyte

- The lacunae are connected through canaliculi which radiate from the lacunae

- In the canaliculi are the processes of the osteocytes

- The canaliculi link up with one another and also with the Haversian canal

- The processes communicate with one another in the canaliculi through gap junctions

- Between two adjacent rows of lacunae lie the lamellae, 5-7µm thick

- In three dimensions the Haversian systems are cylindrical

- The collagen fibres lie in a spiral in the lamellae

- Perpendicular to the Haversian canals are the Volkman's canals

- They link up with the marrow cavity and the Haversian canals

- Some lamellae do not form part of a Haversian system

- They are the:

- Inner circumferential lamellae - around the marrow cavity

- Outer circumferential lamellae - underneath the outer surface of the bone

- Interstitial lamellae - between the osteons

Endosteum

Lines all cavities like marrow spaces, Haversian- and Volkman's canals

Consists of a single layer of squamous osteoprogenitor cells with a thin reticular CT layer underneath it

Continuous with the inner layer of periosteum

Covers the trabeculae of spongy bone

Cells differentiate into osteoblasts (like the cells of the periosteum)

Periosteum

 Formed by tough CT

 2 layers

Outer fibrous layer:  Thickest, Contains collagen fibres,

Some fibres enter the bone - called Sharpey's fibres

Contains blood vessels.

Also fibrocytes and the other cells found in common CT

Inner cellular layer

Flattened cells (continuous with the endosteum)

Can divide and differentiate into osteoprogenitor cells

spindle shaped

little amount of rough EPR

poorly developed Golgi complex

play a prominent role in bone growth and repair

Osteoblasts

Oval in shape, Have thin processes, Rough EPR in one part of the cell (basophilic)

On the other side is the nucleus, Golgi and the centrioles in the middle, Form matrix

Become trapped in the matrix

Osteocytes

Mature cells, Less basophilic than the osteoblasts, Lie trapped in the lacunae, Their processes lie in the canaliculi, Processes communicate with one another through gap junctions, Substances (nutrients, waste products) are passed on from cell to cell

Osteoclasts

 Very large,  Multinucleate (up to 50),  On inner and outer surface of bone,  Lie in depressions on the surface called Howships lacunae,  The cell surface facing the bone has short irregular processes

Acidophylic

 Has many lysosomes, polyribosomes and rough EPR

 Lysosomal enzymes are secreted to digest the bone

 Resorbs the organic part of bone

Histogenesis

Two types of bone development.

- intramembranous ossification

- endochondral ossification

In both these types of bone development temporary primary bone is deposited which is soon replaced by secondary bone. Primary bone has more osteocytes and the mineral content is lower.

The Soft Palate

• This is the posterior curtain-like part, and has no bony support. It does, however, contain a membranous aponeurosis.
• The soft palate, or velum palatinum (L. velum, veil), is a movable, fibromuscular fold that is attached to the posterior edge of the hard palate.
• It extends posteroinferiorly to a curved free margin from which hangs a conical process, the uvula (L. uva, grape).

• The soft palate separates the nasopharynx superiorly and the oropharynx inferiorly.

• During swallowing the soft palate moves posteriorly against the wall of the pharynx, preventing the regurgitation of food into the nasal cavity.

• Laterally, the soft palate is continuous with the wall of the pharynx and is joined to the tongue and pharynx by the palatoglossal and palatopharyngeal folds.

• The soft palate is strengthened by the palatine aponeurosis, formed by the expanded tendon of the tensor veli palatini muscle.
• This aponeurosis attaches to the posterior margin of the hard palate.

• Long bones (e.g.. femur and humerus)
• Short bones (e.g.. wrist and ankle bones)
• Flat bones (e.g.. ribs)
• Irregular bones (e.g.. vertebrae)