Morphological and Morphometric Analysis of the Maxillary Nerve in South Indian Cadavers

The maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve is a purely sensory nerve that originates in the cranial cavity from the trigeminal ganglion. It leaves the cranial cavity through the foramen rotundum to enter the pterygopalatine fossa. The maxillary nerve enters the infraorbital fissure and gives off its zygomatic and posterior superior alveolar branches.

The cranial cavity, infratemporal, and pterygopalatine fossae of 20 formalin-embalmed human cadavers of South Indian origin were dissected bilaterally to expose the maxillary nerve, and its morphology and morphometric dimensions in relation to various bony landmarks were recorded.

The results showed that the mean distance from the point of origin of the maxillary nerve to the foramen rotundum was 1.61 ± 0.32 cm. The mean length of the maxillary nerve from the foramen rotundum to the inferior orbital fissure was 1.84 ± 0.37 cm. The mean distance travelled by the infraorbital nerve in the infraorbital groove and canal was 2.96 ± 0.36 cm. two posterior superior alveolar (PSAN) close to the posterior surface of the maxilla proximal to the origin of the zygomatic branch.

The results of our study will contribute to the existing literature, aiding clinicians in the administration of local anesthetics for dental implant placement during maxillary molar extraction and enhancing clinical practices in oro-maxillofacial surgery.