Quick Facts
Origin: Anterior division of the mandibular nerve.
Course: Runs with the buccal nerve between the heads of the lateral pterygoid muscle, then ascends into the anterior temporal fossa deep to the temporalis muscle.
Branches: None.
Supply: Branchial motor innervation to the temporalis muscle.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The anterior deep temporal nerve emerges from the anterior division of the mandibular nerve while it sits deep to the lateral pterygoid muscle, close to the origin of the buccal nerve and the nerve to the lateral pterygoid muscle.
Its motor fibers have cell bodies located in the motor nucleus of the trigeminal nerve in the pons.
Course
The anterior deep temporal nerve runs anteriorly and laterally with the buccal nerve through the two heads of the lateral pterygoid muscle. It ascends, wrapping over the superficial surface of the superior head of the lateral pterygoid muscle, and into the anterior temporal fossa. It runs close to the sphenosquamous suture along the deep surface of the temporalis muscle.
Branches
There are no named branches.
Supplied Structures
The anterior deep temporal nerve is a motor nerve. It transmits branchial motor efferents to the anterior portion of the temporalis muscle.
