The Facial Nerve Notes

The facial nerve (CN VII)
- 7th paired cranial nerve

- Associated with the derivatives of the 2nd pharyngeal arch.
Anatomical Course
Very complex - many branches transmitting a combination of sensory, motor and parasympathetic
fibres
Anatomically, the course of the facial nerve can be divided into two parts:
• Intracranial – the course of the nerve through the cranial cavity, and the cranium itself.
• Extracranial – the course of the nerve outside the cranium, through the face and neck.
Intracranial
The nerve arises in the pons (pontomedullary junction), an area of the brainstem. It begins as two
roots; a large motor root, and a small sensory root (the part of the facial nerve that arises from the
sensory root is sometimes known as the intermediate nerve).
The two roots travel through the internal acoustic meatus, a 1cm long opening in the petrous part of
the temporal bone. Here, they are in very close proximity to the inner ear.
Still within the temporal bone, the roots leave the internal acoustic meatus, and enter a z-shaped
structure called the facial canal. 3 important events occur within the facial canal:
Firstly the two roots fuse to form the facial nerve.
Next, the nerve forms the geniculate ganglion.
Lastly, the nerve gives rise to:
• Greater petrosal nerve – parasympathetic fibres to mucous glands and lacrimal

gland.
• Nerve to stapedius – motor fibres to stapedius muscle of the middle ear.
• Chorda tympani – special sensory fibres to the anterior 2/3 tongue and
parasympathetic fibres to the submandibular and sublingual glands.
The facial nerve then exits the facial canal (and the cranium) via the stylomastoid foramen.
Extracranial
After exiting the skull, the facial nerve turns superiorly to run just anterior to the outer ear.
The 1st extracranial branch to arise is the posterior auricular nerve - motor innervation to some of
the muscles around the ear. Immediately distal to this, motor branches are sent to the posterior
belly of the digastric muscle and to the stylohyoid muscle.
The main trunk of the nerve, now termed the motor root of the facial nerve, continues anteriorly
and inferiorly into the parotid gland (*the facial nerve does not contribute towards the innervation of
the parotid gland, which is innervated by the glossopharyngeal nerve).
Within the parotid gland, the nerve terminates by splitting into five branches (temporal, zygomatic,
buccal, marginal mandibular and cervical) - responsible for innervating the muscles of facial
expression.
Motor Functions
Branches of the facial nerve are responsible for innervating many of the muscles of the head and
neck. All these muscles are derivatives of the second pharyngeal arch.
The first motor branch arises within the facial canal; the nerve to stapedius. The nerve passes
through the pyramidal eminence to supply the stapedius muscle in the middle ear.
Between the stylomastoid foramen, and the parotid gland, three more motor branches are given off:
• Posterior auricular nerve – Ascends in front of the mastoid process, and innervates the
intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the outer ear. It also supplies the occipital part of
the occipitofrontalis muscle.
• Nerve to the posterior belly of the digastric muscle – Innervates the posterior belly of the
digastric muscle (a suprahyoid muscle of the neck - responsible for raising the hyoid bone)
• Nerve to the stylohyoid muscle – Innervates the stylohyoid muscle (a suprahyoid muscle of
the neck - responsible for raising the hyoid bone)
Within the parotid gland, the facial nerve terminates by bifurcating into five motor branches. These
innervate the muscles of facial expression:
• Temporal branch – Innervates the frontalis, orbicularis oculi and corrugator supercilii
• Zygomatic branch – Innervates the orbicularis oculi.
• Buccal branch – Innervates the orbicularis oris, buccinator and zygomaticus muscles.
• Marginal Mandibular branch – Innervates the mentalis muscle.
• Cervical branch – Innervates the platysma.
Sensory Functions
Supplies skin of concha of the auricle and a small area behind the ear.
Special Sensory Functions
Chorda tympani branch
- Responsible for innervating the anterior 2/3 of the tongue with the special sense of taste.
- Arises in the facial canal, and travels across the bones of the middle ear, exiting via the
petrotympanic fissure, and entering the infratemporal fossa. Here, the chorda tympani
‘hitchhikes’ with the lingual nerve.
- The parasympathetic fibres of the chorda tympani stay with the lingual nerve, but the main
body of the nerve leaves to innervate the anterior 2/3 of the tongue.
Parasympathetic Functions
The parasympathetic fibres of the facial nerve are carried by the greater petrosal and chorda
tympani branches.
• Greater Petrosal Nerve - arises immediately distal to the geniculate ganglion within the facial
canal. It then moves in anteromedial direction, exiting the temporal bone into the middle
cranial fossa. From here, it travels across (but not through) the foramen lacerum, combining
with the deep petrosal nerve to form the nerve of the pterygoid canal. The nerve of
pterygoid canal then passes through the pterygoid canal (Vidian canal) to enter the
pterygopalatine fossa, and synapses with the pterygopalatine ganglion. Branches from this
ganglion then go on to provide parasympathetic innervation to the mucous glands of the
oral cavity, nose and pharynx, and the lacrimal gland.
• Chorda Tympani – also carries some parasympathetic fibres. These combine with the lingual
nerve (a branch of the trigeminal nerve) in the infratemporal fossa and form the
submandibular ganglion. Branches from this ganglion travel to the submandibular and
sublingual salivary glands.
V.Bisetty (2020)
Teach Me Anatomy (https://teachmeanatomy.info/head/cranial-nerves/facial-nerve/)

The Facial Nerve Notes

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Facial Nerve Notes

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Facial Nerve Notes

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The facial nerve (CN VII)

- 7th paired cranial nerve

Firstly the two roots fuse to form the facial nerve.

Next, the nerve forms the geniculate ganglion.

Lastly, the nerve gives rise to:

• Greater petrosal nerve – parasympathetic fibres to mucous glands and lacrimal

• Nerve to stapedius – motor fibres to stapedius muscle of the middle ear.

• Zygomatic branch – Innervates the orbicularis oculi.

• Marginal Mandibular branch – Innervates the mentalis muscle.

• Cervical branch – Innervates the platysma.

Special Sensory Functions

Chorda tympani branch

Teach Me Anatomy (https://teachmeanatomy.info/head/cranial-nerves/facial-nerve/)

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.