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Inferior Division of Facial Nerve (Right)
Nervous System

Inferior Division of Facial Nerve (Right)

Divisio inferior nervi facialis

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Quick Facts

Origin: Facial nerve.

Course: Runs a short distance anteriorly and inferiorly before dividing.

Branches: Buccal, marginal mandibular, and cervical branches.

Supply: Motor innervation to the muscles of facial expression at or below the upper maxilla.

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Origin

The inferior division of the facial nerve originates where the main facial nerve trunk splits. This generally occurs lateral to the styloid process, anterior and inferior to the external acoustic meatus.

Course

The inferior division of the facial nerve runs anteriorly and inferiorly a variable distance before it too divides.

Branches

The inferior division of the facial nerve divides to form the buccal, mandibular, and cervical branches.

Supplied Structures

The inferior division of the facial nerve is a motor nerve. It sends branchial motor efferent fibers to the muscles of facial expression of the lower half of the face and neck.

The fibers that run via the buccal branches will innervate the levator labii superioris, levator labii superioris alaeque nasi, risorius, buccinator, nasalis, depressor septi, depressor anguli oris, levator anguli oris, zygomaticus major, and zygomaticus minor muscles.

The fibers that run via the marginal mandibular branch will innervate the orbicularis oris, depressor anguli oris, depressor labii inferioris, and mentalis muscles.

The fibers that run via the cervical branch will innervate the platysma muscle.

Learn more about this topic from other Elsevier products

Facial Nerve

ScienceDirect image

The facial nerve is the nerve of the second pharyngeal arch and supplies motor innervation to all of the muscles derived from this mesoderm, namely the muscles of facial expression.

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