Nerves of the Facial Region
Nerve: Auriculotemporal
Origin: Mandibular nerve
Course: Passes between neck of mandible and external acoustic meatus to accompany superficial temporal artery
Innervation: Skin anterior to auricle, posterior temporal region, tragus, helix of auricle, exterior acoustic meatus, upper tympanic membrane
Nerve: Buccal
Origin: Mandibular nerve
Course: Infratemporal fossa, passes anteriorly to reach cheek
Innervation: Skin and mucosa of cheek, buccal gingival
Nerve: Chorda tympani
Origin: Facial nerve
Course: Traverses tympanic cavity, passes between incus and malleus; exits temporal bone via petrotympanic fissure; enters infratemporal fossa, merges with lingual nerve
Innervation: Submandibular and sublingual glands; taste sensation from anterior 2/3 tongue
Nerve: Deep temporal
Origin: Mandibular nerve
Course: Temporal fossa deep to temporalis muscle
Innervation: Temporalis; periosteum of temporal fossa
Nerve: External nasal
Origin: Anterior ethmoidal nerve
Course: Runs in nasal cavity and emerges on face between nasal bone and lateral nasal cartilage
Innervation: Skin on dorsum of nose, including tip of nose
Nerve: Facial
Origin: Posterior border of pons
Course: Runs through internal acoustic meatus and facial canal of petrous part of temporal bone, exiting via stylomastoid foramen; forms intraparotid plexus
Innervation: Stapedius, posterior belly of digastric, stylohyoid, facial and scalp muscles; skin of external acoustic meatus
Nerve: Greater palatine
Origin: Branch of pterygopalatine ganglion (maxillary nerve)
Course: Passes inferiorly through greater palatine canal and foramen
Innervation: Palatine glands; mucosa of hard palate
Nerve: Inferior alveolar
Origin: Terminal branch of posterior mandibular nerve
Course: Lateral and medial pterygoid muscles of infratemporal fossa to enter mandibular canal of mandible
Innervation: Lower teeth, periodontium, periosteum, and gingival of lower jaw
Nerve: Infraorbital
Origin:Terminal branch of maxillary nerve
Course: Runs in floor of orbit and emerges at infraorbital foramen
Innervation: Skin of cheek, lower lid, lateral side of nose and inferior septum and upper lip, upper premolar incisors and canine teeth; mucosa of maxillary sinus and upper lip
Nerve: Lesser palatine
Origin: Pterygopalatine ganglion
Course: Passes inferiorly through palatine canal and lesser palatine foramen
Innervation: Glands of soft palate; mucosa of soft palate
Nerve: Lingual
Origin: Terminal branch of posterior mandibular nerve
Course: Joins chorda tympani, passes anteroinferiorly between lateral and medial pterygoid muscles, enters oral cavity
Innervation: Submandibular ganglion for submandibular and sublingual salivary glands; anterior 2/3 tongue, floor of mouth, lingual mandibular gingival
Nerve: Mandibular
Origin: Trigeminal ganglion
Course: Foramen ovale into infratemporal fossa, divides into anterior and posterior trunks, ramifying into smaller branches, bifurcating into lingual and inferior alveolar nerve
Innervation: Muscles of mastication, mylohyoid, anterior belly of digastric, tensor tympani, tensor veli palatini; skin overlying mandible, lower half of mouth, and temporomandibular joint
Nerve: Masseteric
Origin: Mandibular nerve
Course: Passes laterally through mandibular notch
Innervation: Masseter; temporomandibular joint
Nerve: Maxillary
Origin: Trigeminal nerve
Course: Anteriorly through foramen rotundum, into pterygopalatine fossa, sensory roots to pterygopalatine ganglion; continues anteriorly through infraorbital fissures as infraorbital nerve
Innervation: Pterygopalatine ganglion, lacrimal gland, mucosal glands of nasal cavity, palate and upper pharynx; skin overlying maxilla, mucosa of posteroinferior nasal cavity and maxillary sinus; upper half of mouth
Nerve: Mental
Origin: Terminal branch of inferior alveolar nerve
Course: Mandibular canal at mental foramen
Innervation: Skin of chin; skin and mucosa of lower lip
Nerve: Nasopalatine
Origin: Pterygopalatine ganglion
Course: Exits pterygopalatine fossa via sphenopalatine foramen; runs anteroinferiorly across nasal septum, through incisive foramen to palate
Innervation: Mucosal glands of nasal septum; mucosa of nasal septum, anterior-most hard palate
Nerve: Nerve to lateral/medial pterygoid
Origin: Anterior mandibular nerve
Course: Arises in infratemporal fossa, inferior to foramen ovale
Innervation: Lateral and medial pterygoid muscles
Nerve: Nerve to pterygoid canal
Origin: Formed by merger of greater and deep petrosal nerves
Course: Traverses pterygoid canal, to pterygopalatine ganglion in pterygopalatine fossa
Innervation: Pterygopalatine ganglion
Nerve: Nerve to stapedius
Origin: Facial nerve
Course: Arises as facial nerve descends posterior to muscle in facial canal
Innervation: Stapedius
Nerve: Pharyngeal
Origin: Pterygopalatine ganglion
Course: Passes posteriorly through palatovaginal canal
Innervation: Supplies mucosa of nasopharynx posterior to the pharyngotympanic tubes
Nerve: Superior alveolar
Origin: Maxillary nerve
Course: Emerges from pterygomaxillary fissure into infratemporal fossa to posterior aspect of maxilla; arises from infraorbital nerve of maxillary sinus, descends walls of sinus
Innervation: Mucosa of maxillary sinus, maxillary teeth and gingival
Nerve: Trigeminal
Origin: Lateral surface of pons by two roots; motor and sensory
Course: Crosses medial part of crest of petrous part of temporal bone, trigeminal cave of dura mater lateral to body of sphenoid and cavernous sinus; motor root passes ganglion to become part of mandibular nerve
Innervation: Muscles of mastication, mylohyoid, anterior belly of digastric, tensor tympani, tensor veli palatini; dura of anterior and middle cranial fossa, skin of face, teeth, gingival, mucosa of nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses and mouth
Nerve:Zygomatic
Origin: Maxillary nerve
Course: Arises in floor of orbit, divides into zygomaticofacial and zygomaticotemporal nerves, traverses foramina of same; communicating b ranch joins lacrimal nerve
Innervation: Skin over zygomatic arch, anterior temporal region; conveys secretory postsynaptic parasympathetic fibers from pterygopalatine ganglion to lacrimal gland
Origin: Mandibular nerve
Course: Passes between neck of mandible and external acoustic meatus to accompany superficial temporal artery
Innervation: Skin anterior to auricle, posterior temporal region, tragus, helix of auricle, exterior acoustic meatus, upper tympanic membrane
Nerve: Buccal
Origin: Mandibular nerve
Course: Infratemporal fossa, passes anteriorly to reach cheek
Innervation: Skin and mucosa of cheek, buccal gingival
Nerve: Chorda tympani
Origin: Facial nerve
Course: Traverses tympanic cavity, passes between incus and malleus; exits temporal bone via petrotympanic fissure; enters infratemporal fossa, merges with lingual nerve
Innervation: Submandibular and sublingual glands; taste sensation from anterior 2/3 tongue
Nerve: Deep temporal
Origin: Mandibular nerve
Course: Temporal fossa deep to temporalis muscle
Innervation: Temporalis; periosteum of temporal fossa
Nerve: External nasal
Origin: Anterior ethmoidal nerve
Course: Runs in nasal cavity and emerges on face between nasal bone and lateral nasal cartilage
Innervation: Skin on dorsum of nose, including tip of nose
Nerve: Facial
Origin: Posterior border of pons
Course: Runs through internal acoustic meatus and facial canal of petrous part of temporal bone, exiting via stylomastoid foramen; forms intraparotid plexus
Innervation: Stapedius, posterior belly of digastric, stylohyoid, facial and scalp muscles; skin of external acoustic meatus
Nerve: Greater palatine
Origin: Branch of pterygopalatine ganglion (maxillary nerve)
Course: Passes inferiorly through greater palatine canal and foramen
Innervation: Palatine glands; mucosa of hard palate
Nerve: Inferior alveolar
Origin: Terminal branch of posterior mandibular nerve
Course: Lateral and medial pterygoid muscles of infratemporal fossa to enter mandibular canal of mandible
Innervation: Lower teeth, periodontium, periosteum, and gingival of lower jaw
Nerve: Infraorbital
Origin:Terminal branch of maxillary nerve
Course: Runs in floor of orbit and emerges at infraorbital foramen
Innervation: Skin of cheek, lower lid, lateral side of nose and inferior septum and upper lip, upper premolar incisors and canine teeth; mucosa of maxillary sinus and upper lip
Nerve: Lesser palatine
Origin: Pterygopalatine ganglion
Course: Passes inferiorly through palatine canal and lesser palatine foramen
Innervation: Glands of soft palate; mucosa of soft palate
Nerve: Lingual
Origin: Terminal branch of posterior mandibular nerve
Course: Joins chorda tympani, passes anteroinferiorly between lateral and medial pterygoid muscles, enters oral cavity
Innervation: Submandibular ganglion for submandibular and sublingual salivary glands; anterior 2/3 tongue, floor of mouth, lingual mandibular gingival
Nerve: Mandibular
Origin: Trigeminal ganglion
Course: Foramen ovale into infratemporal fossa, divides into anterior and posterior trunks, ramifying into smaller branches, bifurcating into lingual and inferior alveolar nerve
Innervation: Muscles of mastication, mylohyoid, anterior belly of digastric, tensor tympani, tensor veli palatini; skin overlying mandible, lower half of mouth, and temporomandibular joint
Nerve: Masseteric
Origin: Mandibular nerve
Course: Passes laterally through mandibular notch
Innervation: Masseter; temporomandibular joint
Nerve: Maxillary
Origin: Trigeminal nerve
Course: Anteriorly through foramen rotundum, into pterygopalatine fossa, sensory roots to pterygopalatine ganglion; continues anteriorly through infraorbital fissures as infraorbital nerve
Innervation: Pterygopalatine ganglion, lacrimal gland, mucosal glands of nasal cavity, palate and upper pharynx; skin overlying maxilla, mucosa of posteroinferior nasal cavity and maxillary sinus; upper half of mouth
Nerve: Mental
Origin: Terminal branch of inferior alveolar nerve
Course: Mandibular canal at mental foramen
Innervation: Skin of chin; skin and mucosa of lower lip
Nerve: Nasopalatine
Origin: Pterygopalatine ganglion
Course: Exits pterygopalatine fossa via sphenopalatine foramen; runs anteroinferiorly across nasal septum, through incisive foramen to palate
Innervation: Mucosal glands of nasal septum; mucosa of nasal septum, anterior-most hard palate
Nerve: Nerve to lateral/medial pterygoid
Origin: Anterior mandibular nerve
Course: Arises in infratemporal fossa, inferior to foramen ovale
Innervation: Lateral and medial pterygoid muscles
Nerve: Nerve to pterygoid canal
Origin: Formed by merger of greater and deep petrosal nerves
Course: Traverses pterygoid canal, to pterygopalatine ganglion in pterygopalatine fossa
Innervation: Pterygopalatine ganglion
Nerve: Nerve to stapedius
Origin: Facial nerve
Course: Arises as facial nerve descends posterior to muscle in facial canal
Innervation: Stapedius
Nerve: Pharyngeal
Origin: Pterygopalatine ganglion
Course: Passes posteriorly through palatovaginal canal
Innervation: Supplies mucosa of nasopharynx posterior to the pharyngotympanic tubes
Nerve: Superior alveolar
Origin: Maxillary nerve
Course: Emerges from pterygomaxillary fissure into infratemporal fossa to posterior aspect of maxilla; arises from infraorbital nerve of maxillary sinus, descends walls of sinus
Innervation: Mucosa of maxillary sinus, maxillary teeth and gingival
Nerve: Trigeminal
Origin: Lateral surface of pons by two roots; motor and sensory
Course: Crosses medial part of crest of petrous part of temporal bone, trigeminal cave of dura mater lateral to body of sphenoid and cavernous sinus; motor root passes ganglion to become part of mandibular nerve
Innervation: Muscles of mastication, mylohyoid, anterior belly of digastric, tensor tympani, tensor veli palatini; dura of anterior and middle cranial fossa, skin of face, teeth, gingival, mucosa of nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses and mouth
Nerve:Zygomatic
Origin: Maxillary nerve
Course: Arises in floor of orbit, divides into zygomaticofacial and zygomaticotemporal nerves, traverses foramina of same; communicating b ranch joins lacrimal nerve
Innervation: Skin over zygomatic arch, anterior temporal region; conveys secretory postsynaptic parasympathetic fibers from pterygopalatine ganglion to lacrimal gland