Biomaterial Database

Avoiding facial nerve injuries in rhytidectomy. Anatomical variations and pitfalls. 1979

D C Baker, and J Conley

Injury to the facial nerve in rhytidectomy has been occurring in less than one percent of the cases, and a spontaneous return of function in more than 80 percent of these injuries has resulted within 6 months. With the introduction of the newer and more aggressive techniques of platysmal and subplatysmal flaps and SMAS dissections, the risk of injury to facial nerve branches is obviously increased. Though there has not yet been an increase in the facial nerve injuries reported, these techniques are still relatively recent additions to the face-lift operation-and usually they have been done by more experienced surgeons, taking more time and working under direct vision with a more careful dissection. More care is needed to prevent injuries. We discuss here the detailed anatomy of the muscular branches of the facial nerve, how to prevent injuries to them during rhytidectomy, and how to manage injuries when they do occur.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D005145	Face	The anterior portion of the head that includes the skin, muscles, and structures of the forehead, eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks, and jaw.	Faces
D005152	Facial Muscles	Muscles of facial expression or mimetic muscles that include the numerous muscles supplied by the facial nerve that are attached to and move the skin of the face. (From Stedman, 25th ed)	Mimetic Muscles,Facial Muscle,Mimetic Muscle,Muscle, Facial,Muscle, Mimetic,Muscles, Facial,Muscles, Mimetic
D005154	Facial Nerve	The 7th cranial nerve. The facial nerve has two parts, the larger motor root which may be called the facial nerve proper, and the smaller intermediate or sensory root. Together they provide efferent innervation to the muscles of facial expression and to the lacrimal and SALIVARY GLANDS, and convey afferent information for TASTE from the anterior two-thirds of the TONGUE and for TOUCH from the EXTERNAL EAR.	Cranial Nerve VII,Marginal Mandibular Branch,Marginal Mandibular Nerve,Seventh Cranial Nerve,Nerve VII,Nerve of Wrisberg,Nervus Facialis,Nervus Intermedius,Nervus Intermedius of Wrisberg,Cranial Nerve VIIs,Cranial Nerve, Seventh,Facial Nerves,Mandibular Nerve, Marginal,Mandibular Nerves, Marginal,Marginal Mandibular Nerves,Nerve VIIs,Nerve, Facial,Nerve, Marginal Mandibular,Nerve, Seventh Cranial,Nerves, Marginal Mandibular,Nervus Faciali,Seventh Cranial Nerves,Wrisberg Nerve,Wrisberg Nervus Intermedius
D005158	Facial Paralysis	Severe or complete loss of facial muscle motor function. This condition may result from central or peripheral lesions. Damage to CNS motor pathways from the cerebral cortex to the facial nuclei in the pons leads to facial weakness that generally spares the forehead muscles. FACIAL NERVE DISEASES generally results in generalized hemifacial weakness. NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION DISEASES and MUSCULAR DISEASES may also cause facial paralysis or paresis.	Facial Palsy,Hemifacial Paralysis,Facial Palsy, Lower Motor Neuron,Facial Palsy, Upper Motor Neuron,Facial Paralysis, Central,Facial Paralysis, Peripheral,Facial Paresis,Lower Motor Neuron Facial Palsy,Upper Motor Neuron Facial Palsy,Central Facial Paralyses,Central Facial Paralysis,Facial Palsies,Facial Paralyses, Central,Facial Paralyses, Peripheral,Palsies, Facial,Palsy, Facial,Paralyses, Central Facial,Paralyses, Facial,Paralyses, Hemifacial,Paralysis, Central Facial,Paralysis, Facial,Paralysis, Hemifacial,Paralysis, Peripheral Facial,Pareses, Facial,Paresis, Facial,Peripheral Facial Paralysis
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013518	Surgery, Plastic	The branch of surgery concerned with restoration, reconstruction, or improvement of defective, damaged, or missing structures.	Cosmetic Surgery,Esthetic Surgery,Plastic Surgery,Surgery, Cosmetic,Surgery, Esthetic,Reconstructive Surgery,Surgery, Reconstructive
D014947	Wounds and Injuries	Damage inflicted on the body as the direct or indirect result of an external force, with or without disruption of structural continuity.	Injuries,Physical Trauma,Trauma,Injuries and Wounds,Injuries, Wounds,Research-Related Injuries,Wounds,Wounds and Injury,Wounds, Injury,Injury,Injury and Wounds,Injury, Research-Related,Physical Traumas,Research Related Injuries,Research-Related Injury,Trauma, Physical,Traumas,Wound
D020220	Facial Nerve Injuries	Traumatic injuries to the facial nerve. This may result in FACIAL PARALYSIS, decreased lacrimation and salivation, and loss of taste sensation in the anterior tongue. The nerve may regenerate and reform its original pattern of innervation, or regenerate aberrantly, resulting in inappropriate lacrimation in response to gustatory stimuli (e.g., "crocodile tears") and other syndromes.	Facial Nerve Trauma,Facial Neuropathy, Traumatic,Marginal Mandibular Nerve Injuries,Marginal Mandibular Nerve Injury,Cranial Nerve VII Injuries,Facial Nerve Avulsion,Injuries, Cranial Nerve VII,Injuries, Seventh Cranial Nerve,Injury, Facial Nerve,Nerve Injury, Facial,Seventh Cranial Nerve Injuries,Avulsion, Facial Nerve,Facial Nerve Avulsions,Facial Nerve Injury,Facial Nerve Traumas,Nerve Avulsion, Facial,Nerve Trauma, Facial,Neuropathy, Traumatic Facial,Trauma, Facial Nerve,Traumatic Facial Neuropathies,Traumatic Facial Neuropathy