著者

田松 裕一 峰 和治 島田 和幸

出版者

鹿児島大学

雑誌

鹿児島大学歯学部紀要 (ISSN:03897834)

巻号頁・発行日

no.26, pp.21-26, 2006

---

The serial movement of mastication and swallowing is produced by delicate cooperation of mouth, pharynx, esophagus and the circumference structures. The aim of this report is to explain about the form of soft palate muscles which is hard to understand but important for dentistry. The posterior margin of soft palate forms an upper wall of isthmus of fauces with the uvula hanging from central part. It relaxes and strains with flexibility and seems to be a sail of a ship, so it is called veli palatini. Soft palate has no lining of bone, but maxillary tuberosity, horizontal plate of palatine bone, pterygoid process of sphenoid bone, temporal bone cone lower part, cartilage of auditory tube are important peripheral structures. Soft palate consists of five muscles. Musculus uvulae elevate the uvula. Palatoglossus and palatopharyngeus originate from lower part than soft palate, and make the wall of fauces. Levator veli palatini and tensor veil palatini originate upper portion than the soft palate, and elevate and strain the soft palate. When they are observed in a mouth, the forms of the schema of these muscles seem to be a spider.