Lateral pterygoid nerve

The lateral pterygoid nerve (or external pterygoid nerve) is a motor branch of the anterior division of the mandibular nerve (CN V3). It arises in the infratemporal fossa and passes lateral to the lateral pterygoid muscle. It typically 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, which contributes to protrusion and side-to-side motion of the lower jaw during chewing. The nerve is relevant in conditions and surgical procedures involving the infratemporal region and the muscles that control mandibular movement.