Lecture 6: facial nerve

Question 1

intraosseous course of the facial nerve

Answer 1

• traverses the internal acoustic meatus
• enters the facial canal where it travels laterally
• sharp posterior bend and courses inferolateral within the facial canal to reach the stylomastoid foramen

Question 2

branches of the facial nerve as it travels in the facial canal

Answer 2

• greater petrosal nerve
• chorda tympani nerve
• nerve to stapedius
• sensory branch of CN 7 (joins CN 10)

Question 3

greater petrosal nerve

Answer 3

-emerges from the geniculate ganglion and travels within the temporal bone before it reaches the middle cranial fossa via the hiatus for the greater petrosal nerve

Question 4

nerve of the pterygoid canal

Answer 4

union of deep petrosal nerve and greater petrosal nerve that will travel within the cartilage that fills the foramen lacer as the traverse pterygoid canal to enter the pterygoidpalatine ganglion (of V2)

Question 5

chorda tympani nerve

Answer 5

emerges within the facial canal and travels superior and anterior before passing toward the tympanic cavity then travels within the tympanic membrane and then re-eneters the temporal bone

Question 6

chorda tympani nerve pass through…. to reach the tympanic cavity

Answer 6

posterior canaliculus for the chords tympani

Question 7

chorda tympani nerve pass through…. to re enter the temporal bone

Answer 7

anterior caniliculus for the chorda tymapani

Question 8

chorda tympani leaves the temporal bone via the

Answer 8

petrotympanic fissure and enters into the infra temporal fossa

Question 9

chorda tympani once in the infra temporal fossa

Answer 9

is medial to the spine of the sphenoid and courses anteriorly to join the lingual nerve (v3) to which it contributes GVE, SA, GVA

Question 10

facial nerve exits the skull via the

Answer 10

stylomastoid foramen

Question 11

branches of the facial nerve after exiting the skull

Answer 11

• posterior auricular nerve
• digastric branch/ stylohyoid branch
• temporofacial trunk
• cervicofacial trunk

Question 12

parotid plexus

Answer 12

made up from branches of the temporofacial and cervicofacial trunks

Question 13

temporofacial trunk branches

Answer 13

• temporal
• zygomatic
• buccal

Question 14

cervicofacial trunk branches

Answer 14

• buccal
• marginal mandibular
• cervical