| velopharyngeal | Pertaining to the soft palate (velum palatinum) and the posterior nasopharyngeal wall. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| velopharyngeal closure | The apposition of the palate to the upper posterior pharyngeal wall as in deglutition and in some speech sounds. (05 Mar 2000) |
| velopharyngeal insufficiency | Failure of the soft palate to reach the posterior pharyngeal wall. It may be caused by cleft palate surgery, palatal or pharyngeal abnormalities or injury, or neuromuscular dysfunction of the velopharyngeal sphincter. It causes hypernasality of speech. (12 Dec 1998) |
| velopharyngeal seal | Closure between the oral and nasopharyngeal cavities. (05 Mar 2000) |
| velopharyngeal sphincter | A constant band of the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle which sweeps posteriorly from the anterolateral part of the superior surface of the palatine aponeurosis. It creates a visible ridge when the superior constrictor is contracted, meeting the elevated soft palate to seal off the pharyngeal isthmus during swallowing. Synonym: pharyngeal ridge, sphincter of the pharyngeal isthmus, velopharyngeal sphincter. (05 Mar 2000) |