You are on page 1of 15

Facial nerve

By
Dr.P.Priya

Introduction
Facial is the nerve of the second branchial
arch
Facial nerve consists of a motor and sensory
root
Sensory root also known as the nervous
intermedius
Nervous intermedius carries its sensory and
parasympathetic fibres

Carries afferent impulses from the above mentioned


glands

Special visceral afferent column:Taste fibres from


anterior two thirds of the tongue and soft palate
General somatic afferent column:
Afferent fibres innervate a part of the
skin of the ear

Proprioceptive impulses from muscles of the face


travel through branches of trigeminal nerve to
reach the mesencephalic nucleus of 5th nerve

Functional components
Special visceral or branchial efferent column:
Supply muscles which are developed from second
branchial arch

General visceral efferent or parasympathetic:


These fibres are secretomotor to the
submandibular and sublingual salivary
glands,lacrimal gland,and glands of the
nose,palate and the pharynx

General visceral afferent component:

Nuclei
The fibres of the nerve arise from 4 nuclei situated in lower
pons
Motor nucleus :It represents special visceral efferent
column
Superior salivatory nucleus:It is situated dorsolateral to the
caudal part of the motor nucleus and represent the general
visceral efferent column
Upper part of nucleus of tractus solitarius:It represent the
SVA,GVA column
Upper part of spinal nucleus of trigeminal nerve:cell bodies
of these fibres located in genicular ganglion of facial nerve
and represent the general somatic afferent fibres

Central connection
The part of nucleus that supplies muscles of
upper part of the face receives corticonuclear
fibres from the motor cortex of both the right
and left sides
The part of the nucleus supplies muscles of
the lower part of the face receive
corticonuclear fibres only from opposite
cerebral hemisphere

Course and Relations


Superficial origin:Both roots of facial nerve are
attached to lower border of the pons between olive
and inferior cerebellar peduncle.vestibulocochlear
nerve is situated just lateral to the sensory root
The two roots roots run laterally and forwards(with the
8th nerve)to reach the internal acuostic meatus
In its course through the pons ,the facial nerve Joined
by preganglionic parasympathetic fibres from
sup.salivatory nucleus and pass peripherally through
the greater petrosal and chorda tympani nerves to
ptergopalatine and submandibular ganglia respectively

Course in the meatus


In the meatus the motor root lies in a groove
on the 8th nerve,with sensory root in between
Here the 7th and 8th nerves are accompanied
by labyrinthine vessels
At the bottom of the meatus ,the two roots
fuse to form a single trunk,which lies in the
petrous temporal bone
It leaves the internal ear and enters the
middle ear through the facial canal

Intra petrous part


With the facial canal ,the course of the nerve can be
divided into three parts by two bends
1st part-passes laterally above the vestibule of internal ear
2nd part runs backwards in relation to the medial wall of
middle ear,above the promontory
3rd part-Is directed vertically downwards behind the
promontory along the posterior wall of tympanic cavity and
leaves the temporal bone through the stylomastoid
foramen
The first bend is sharp lies over the anterosuperior part of
promontory and is also called genu
The second bend is gradual,and lies between the
promontory and the aditus to the mastoid antrum

Extra cranial part


At its exit from stylomastoid foramen the
facial nerve changes the direction
The facial nerve passes forward superficial t
styloid process of temporal bone
It enters the posteromedial surface of parotid
gland
Behind the neck of the mandible it divids into
its 5 terminal branches which emerge along
the anterior border of the parotid gland

Branches and distribution


A.within the facial canal:
Greater petrosal nerve:Preganglionic secretomotor fibres
to the lacrimal gland,glands of nasal mucous membrane
and soft palate
The nerve to stapedius:It arises from facial nerve supplies
stapedius muscle
The chorda tympani:Arises in vertical part of facial canal
6mm above the
stylomastoid foramen.It carries preganglionic
secretomotor fibres to the submandibular ganglion for
supply the submandibular and sublingual salivary glands

B.At its exit from stylomastoid foramen:

Posterior auricular-supply intrinsic muscles on


back of the auricle
The digastric branch-supplies posterir belly of
digastric
The stylohyoid branch-supplies the stylohyoid
muscle

C.Terminal branches within the parotid gland:


Temporal

Zygomatic
Buccal
Mandibular
Cervical

D.communicating branches with adjacent


cranial and spinal nerves
The facial nerve also communicates with the
sensory nerves distributed over its motor territory

Ganglia
The ganglia associated with facial nerve are as
follows
Geniculate ganglion is located on first bend of facial
nerve,in relation to medial wall of middle ear.It is a
sensory ganglion
Submandibular ganglion-is a parasympathetic
ganglion for relay of secretomotor fibres to the
submandibular and sublingual salivary glands
Pterygopalatine ganglion- is also a parasympathetic
ganglion.secretomotor fibres meant for lacrimal gland
relay in this ganglion

You might also like