Temporal branches of the facial nerve
The temporal branches of the facial nerve (frontal branch of the facial nerve) crosses the zygomatic arch to the temporal region, supplying the auriculares anterior and superior, and joining with the zygomaticotemporal branch of the maxillary nerve, and with the auriculotemporal branch of the mandibular nerve.
| Temporal branches of the facial nerve | |
|---|---|
 Plan of the facial and intermediate nerves and their communication with other nerves (labeled at center bottom, sixth from bottom, as "Temporal") | |
 The nerves of the scalp, face, and side of neck (temporal labeled at center, between eye and ear.) | |
| Details | |
| From | Facial nerve |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | Rami temporales nervi facialis |
| TA98 | A14.2.01.109 |
| TA2 | 6302 |
| FMA | 53291 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
The more anterior branches supply the frontalis, the orbicularis oculi, and corrugator supercilii, and join the supraorbital and lacrimal branches of the ophthalmic. The temporal branch acts as the efferent limb of the corneal reflex.
Testing the temporal branches of the facial nerve
To test the function of the temporal branches of the facial nerve, a patient is asked to frown and wrinkle their forehead.
Additional images
Lateral head anatomy detail
Lateral head anatomy detail.Dissection the newborn
Lateral head anatomy detail.Facial nerve dissection.
External links
- Anatomy photo:23:06-0106 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "Branches of Facial Nerve (CN VII)"
- lesson4 at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (parotid3)
- cranialnerves at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (VII)
- http://www.dartmouth.edu/~humananatomy/figures/chapter_47/47-5.HTM
References
This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 905 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)