[The anatomic study of levator veli palatini muscle]

The purpose of this study was to obtain more informations about the levator veli palatini (LVP) muscle through the dissection of head and neck cadaver samples in 20 sides of normal adults, 4 sides of normal newborns and 4 sides of cleft palate newborns and histological sections in 6 normal fetuses. The results shown that the middle part of LVP is 7.9 mm in width, 3.4mm in thickness and 29mm2 on cross-section area. There are two angle relationship between LVP and the soft palate, which are 44.5 degrees angle to midline sagittal section inward and 33.0 degrees angle to coronal section forward. The LVP insertion is between the 40% to 70% of the soft palate length and only 25% insertion of LVP is located at the junction area of palatal aponeurosis and fibromuscular component of palatine raphe. Other parts of LVP insertion are merged into the midline fibromuscular component. The muscle has a close relationship with the medial part of the cartilaginous portion of Eustachian tube. The LVP is supplied by the palatal branches of ascending palatine artery and ascending pharyngeal artery, which are into the LVP at or above the level of the hard palate. The LVP nerve branches coming from the pharyngeal plexus pass through the lateral pharyngeal space. The LVP reconstruction in cleft palate repair is discussed.