Korean J Phys Anthropol.  2013 Mar;26(1):1-12. 10.11637/kjpa.2013.26.1.1.

Anatomical and Functional Consideration of the Trigemino-Facial Nervous Communication and Facial Expresssion Muscles

• Yang HM
• Hu KS
• Kim HJ

• KMID: 1430194
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.11637/kjpa.2013.26.1.1

Abstract

The aim of the study is to examine the distribution and communications of the trigeminal nerve (TN) and facial nerve (FN) and considerate their relationship with the anatomy and function of the facial expression muscles (FEMs) by means of the literature study. The TN emerged on the face via various structures of the skull, and received sensation of the skin and muscles on the face. The FN supplied the motor components to the FEMs, as ramifying five branches after running through the stylohyoid foramen. The TN and FN constituted "nervous communication between heterogeneous cranial nerves" on the ocular (supraorbital nerve and temporal branch), zygomatic (zygomatic nerve and temporal/zygomatic branch), infraorbital (infraorbital nerve and zygomatic branch), retromandibular (auriculotemporal nerve and FN trunk), buccal (buccal nerve and buccal/zygomatic branch) and mental areas (mental nerve and buccal/marginal mandibular branch). The exquisite movement of the FEM which was controlled by the facial motor nucleus would be referred by the proprioception from the TN. The motor components from the FN could be delivered to the FEM via the TN as recruiting the heterogeneous nervous communications. The sensation from the FN also could be conveyed to the TN via the communication.

Keyword

Nervous communication; Trigeminal nerve; Facial nerve; Facial expression muscles

MeSH Terms

Facial Expression
Facial Nerve
Muscles
Proprioception
Running
Sensation
Skin
Skull
Trigeminal Nerve