Quick Facts
Origin: Facial nerve.
Course: Runs superiorly between the mastoid process and the external acoustic meatus.
Branches: Auricular and occipital branches.
Supply: Sensory to the skin of the ear; Motor innervation to auricular muscles.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The posterior auricular nerve is a branch of the main trunk of the facial nerve, originating shortly after the facial nerve exits from the stylomastoid foramen. It is typically the first branch to split off the facial nerve after exiting the stylomastoid foramen.
Course
From its origin just inferior to the stylomastoid foramen, the posterior auricular nerve runs superiorly along the anterior surface of the mastoid process. It continues up between the mastoid process and the external acoustic meatus before splitting into auricular and occipital branches.
Branches
The posterior auricular nerve splits into an auricular branch and an occipital branch.
Supplied Structures
The posterior auricular nerve is a mixed nerve. It conveys general sensation from portions of the external ear and external acoustic meatus via its auricular branch.
The posterior auricular nerve also conveys branchial motor nerve efferents. It innervates the superior and posterior auricular muscles via the auricular branch and the occipitalis muscle via the occipital branch.
