title: ANATOMICAL VARIATIONS OF THE GREATER PALATINE NERVE IN THE GREATER PALATINE CANAL.
abstract: The greater palatine nerve and the greater palatine canal are common sites for maxillary anesthesia during dental and maxillo-facial procedures. The greater palatine nerve is thought to course as a single trunk through the greater palatine canal, branching after its exit from the greater palatine foramen. We describe intra-canalicular branching variations of the greater palatine nerve found in 8 of 20 embalmed dissection specimens. Such variation is previously unreported in the literature. We characterize the variations in branching pattern and discuss the possible implications for clinical practice.
authors.forename: Najmus Sahar
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Hafeez
authors.forename: Sugantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ganapathy
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sondekoppam
authors.forename: Marjorie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Merrifield
authors.forename: Khadry A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Galil
mesh_terms: D002102:Cadaver; D004210:Dissection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008442:Maxillary Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D010159:Palate / Q000294:innervation*