English

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Face is essential to express emotion, consciously or unconsciously. The face plays a crucial role in determining a person’s character with a single glance. Given that the face plays an important part in an individual’s life. Surgeries performed on any part of the face, be it a parotid glad removal, facial reconstructive surgery or a cosmetic surgery, have become quite frequent and incredibly popular. The popularity continues to rise with general surgeon, oro-maxillo-facial surgeons, dental surgeons, oto-rhinolaryngologists, and plastic surgeons performing a wide range of operations such as parotidectomy, rhytidectomy, surgeries in the submandibular region and mandibular ramus fractures. MATERIALS: Study on the intraparotid course of facial nerve had been conducted in 50 specimens of face. Of 17 male and 8 female cadavers, in the Institute of Anatomy, Madras Medical College, Chennai. RESULTS: There was only one trunk in all the specimens (100%). The facial nerve in all the specimens had two major division, upper temporofacial and lower cervicofacial division. In 92% of specimens the buccal branch arose from these two divisions. In 8% of specimen the buccal branch had an additional contribution by a central branch which came directly from the trunk. In 64% of specimens the buccal branch was found to be inferior to parotid duct. The buccal branch was below the line joining the tragus and ala of nose. The marginal mandibular (MMB) branch was one to four in number. The marginal mandibular branch was usually below the inferior border of mandible. The mean distance between the marginal mandibular branch and inferior border of mandible was 10.76 mm. The marginal mandibular branch crossed the facial artery mostly superficially. The MMB had no anastomosis with other branches, but minimal percentage of anastomosis with the buccal and cervical branches. The temporal branch was within the line joining the tragus and lateral palpebral commissure. The extra parotid ramification (branching of facial nerve) was approximately 55% of LPL. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of the results obtained in this study may help to decrease the iatrogenic injury to the facial nerve during removal of Parotid gland, and face lifting surgeries.