Branches of Facial Nerve Identification In Parotidectomy

Branches of Facial Nerve

Branches of Facial Nerve

There are Five Branches of Facial Nerve.

These five branches are located in the Facio Venous Plane of Patey.

Tragal Pointer- (Triangular Tragal Cartilage) helps to identify the Facial Nerve as it emerges from the Stylo Mastoid Foramen.

The Five branches are-

1.     Temporal

2.     Zygomatic

3.     Buccal

4.     Marginal Mandibular

5.     Cervical

Two most important branches of Facial Nerve are Zygomatic and Marginal Mandibular. 

If Zygomatic  branch is damaged it produces  inability to close the eyelid .

If Marginal Mandibular  branch is damaged it produces  Deviation of angle of Mouth.

Because of these two important cosmetic effects the above mentioned branches of the facial nerve are considered as the most important .

Hence if any one of these branches are accidentally cut, has to be repaired with Nerve Cable Graft.

The nerves used for cable graft are Sural Nerve and Great Auricular Nerve.