The lateral pterygoid nerve (or external pterygoid nerve) is a branch of the anterior division of the mandibular nerve.

[1] It usually 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.

[2] Some authors describe the lateral pterygoid nerve as a single branch of the anterior division of the mandibular nerve which then bifurcates to enter the two heads of the lateral pterygoid muscle.

This neuroanatomy article is a stub.

You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.