ANATOMICAL VARIATIONS OF THE GREATER PALATINE NERVE IN THE GREATER PALATINE CANAL.

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.

Ultrasound-guided greater palatine nerve block: a case series of anatomical descriptions and clinical evaluations.

Background: Greater palatine nerve (GPN) block is commonly performed for maxillary and palatal anesthesia by using bony landmarks. Ultrasound (US) can be used to consistently identify greater palatine foramen (GPF) as a defect in the bony palate enabling US-guided injections near the foramen.

Methods: We scanned and injected 16 undissected well-embalmed hemisectioned cadaveric heads after excluding major anatomical malformations.