lateral pterygoid nerve

{{Short description|Branch of the anterior division of the mandibular nerve}}

{{Infobox nerve

| Name = Lateral pterygoid nerve

| Latin = nervus pterygoideus externus
nervus pterygoideus lateralis

| Image = Nervuspterygoideuslateralis.png

| Caption = Distribution of the maxillary and mandibular nerves, and the submaxillary ganglion.

| Image2 =

| Caption2 =

| Innervates = Lateral pterygoid muscle

| BranchFrom = Anterior division of mandibular nerve

| BranchTo =

}}

The lateral pterygoid nerve (or external pterygoid nerve) is a branch of the anterior division of the mandibular nerve.{{Cite journal |last=Thilander |first=Birgit |date=1964-01-01 |title=Fibre Analysis of the Lateral Pterygoid Nerve |url=https://doi.org/10.3109/00016356408993971 |journal=Acta Odontologica Scandinavica |volume=22 |issue=1 |pages=157–163 |doi=10.3109/00016356408993971 |issn=0001-6357 |pmid=14158467}} It usually originates as two separate branches that travel near the buccal nerve, and enter the deep surfaces of the superior and inferior heads of the lateral pterygoid muscle.{{Citation |last=Suer |first=Michael |title=Anatomy of the Trigeminal Nerve |date=2021 |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60687-9_2 |work=Trigeminal Nerve Pain: A Guide to Clinical Management |pages=5–16 |editor-last=Abd-Elsayed |editor-first=Alaa |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-60687-9_2 |isbn=978-3-030-60687-9 |s2cid=230539881 |access-date=2022-10-14}}