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Babuci A, Palarie V, Catereniuc I, Zorina Z, Visnevschi S, Heimes D, Lehtman S, Kämmerer PW. Variability of the Cervical Branch Depending on the Facial Nerve Branching Pattern and Anthropometric Type of the Head. Neurol Int 2024; 16:113-125. [PMID: 38251055 PMCID: PMC10801503 DOI: 10.3390/neurolint16010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Considering that the specialty literature supplies only general data about the variability of the cervical branch of the facial nerve, this study aimed to determine this branch's variation and individual peculiarities depending on the nerve branching pattern and anthropometric type of the head. (2) Methods: The study was conducted on 75 hemifaces of adult formalized cadavers. Ahead of anatomical dissection, each head was measured to establish the anthropometric type, according to Franco and colleagues. The branching patterns were then distributed according to the Davis classification. (3) Results: The number of cervical branches (CB) of the facial nerve varied from one to five branches, with the following rate: 1 CB (61.3%), 2 CB (28%), 3 CB (6.7%), 4 CB (2.7%), and 5 CB (1.3%). Seven branching patterns of the facial nerve were revealed: Type I in 18.7%, Type II in 14.7%, Type III in 20%, Type IV in 14.6%, Type V in 5.3%, Type VI in 18.7%, and Type NI in 8% (bizarre types). According to the branching pattern, the mean numbers of the cervical branches were as follows: Type I-1.6 ± 1.02; Type II-1.4 ± 0.50; Type III-1.4 ± 0.50; Type IV-1.4 ± 0.67; Type V-2.0 ± 1.41; Type VI-1.8 ± 1.12; and Type-NI-1.8 ± 0.75; p = 0.599. According to the anthropometric type of the head, the mean number of CB in the mesocephalic type (MCT) was 1.5 ± 0.82, in the dolichocephalic type (DCT), 1.7 ± 0.87, and in the brachycephalic type, (BCT) 1.8 ± 1.04; p = 0.668. (4) Conclusions: The cervical branch of the facial nerve varies depending on the facial nerve branching pattern and the anthropometric type of the head. The highest degree of variation was characteristic of BCT and Type V and the lowest, of MCT and Types II, III, and IV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Babuci
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2004 Chișinău, Moldova; (A.B.); (V.P.); (I.C.); (Z.Z.); (S.V.)
| | - Victor Palarie
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2004 Chișinău, Moldova; (A.B.); (V.P.); (I.C.); (Z.Z.); (S.V.)
| | - Ilia Catereniuc
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2004 Chișinău, Moldova; (A.B.); (V.P.); (I.C.); (Z.Z.); (S.V.)
| | - Zinovia Zorina
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2004 Chișinău, Moldova; (A.B.); (V.P.); (I.C.); (Z.Z.); (S.V.)
| | - Sergiu Visnevschi
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2004 Chișinău, Moldova; (A.B.); (V.P.); (I.C.); (Z.Z.); (S.V.)
| | - Diana Heimes
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Sofia Lehtman
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Implantology, Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2004 Chișinău, Moldova;
| | - Peer W. Kämmerer
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany;
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Werner C, D'Antoni AV, Iwanaga J, Watanabe K, Dumont AS, Tubbs RS. A comprehensive review of the great auricular nerve graft. Neurosurg Rev 2020; 44:1987-1995. [PMID: 33083927 DOI: 10.1007/s10143-020-01426-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The great auricular nerve (GAN) is a superficial branch of the cervical plexus that innervates parts of the mandible, auricle, and earlobe. Over the past 30 years, the GAN has become the nerve graft donor of choice for many surgeons for reconstructing injured facial nerves. In this review, we discuss the anatomy and function of the GAN, while focusing on surgical landmarks and the characteristics that make it a suitable nerve graft donor. In addition, we present and summarize published case reports on use of the GAN for grafting. We hope that this review will provide surgeons with an up-to-date and concise reference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassidy Werner
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, 131 S. Robertson St. Suite 1300, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Anthony V D'Antoni
- Physician Assistant Program, Wagner College, Staten Island, NY, USA.,Division of Anatomy, Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joe Iwanaga
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, 131 S. Robertson St. Suite 1300, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA. .,Division of Gross and Clinical Anatomy, Department of Anatomy, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. .,Department of Neurology, Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
| | - Koichi Watanabe
- Division of Gross and Clinical Anatomy, Department of Anatomy, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Aaron S Dumont
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, 131 S. Robertson St. Suite 1300, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - R Shane Tubbs
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, 131 S. Robertson St. Suite 1300, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.,Department of Neurology, Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.,Department of Structural & Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery and Ochsner Neuroscience Institute, Ochsner Health System, New Orleans, LA, USA.,Department of Anatomical Sciences, St. George's University, St. George's, Grenada
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