Quick Facts
Origin: Infraorbital nerve.
Course: Penetrates the maxilla to run in the lateral wall of the maxillary sinus, terminating in a dental plexus in the alveolar process of the maxilla.
Branches: None.
Supply: Conveys general sensory information from the maxillary sinus and teeth of the maxilla, primarily the premolars.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The middle superior alveolar nerve originates in the floor of the orbit where it branches off the infraorbital nerve. Its sensory fibers have cell bodies located in the trigeminal ganglion.
Course
From its origin, the middle superior alveolar nerve runs inferiorly through the orbital surface of the maxilla to the internal surface of the maxillary sinus. It runs down the lateral surface of the sinus, innervating the mucosal lining, before penetrating the alveolar process of the maxilla and spreading out in a dental plexus to innervate maxillary teeth.
Branches
There are no named branches; however, the middle superior alveolar nerve communicates with fibers of the posterior superior and anterior alveolar nerves to form the maxillary dental plexus.
Supplied Structures
The middle superior alveolar nerve is a sensory nerve. It conveys general sense information from the maxillary sinus and several maxillary teeth. Typically, these would be the premolars. However, the dental plexus is not stereotyped, and the exact nerve innervating a given maxillary tooth may vary.
