The pterygopalatine fossa is a small inverted pyramid-shaped space that lies between the back of the orbit, maxilla, and the sphenoid – ideally placed to connect the eyes, nose, mouth, infratemporal fossa and brain. The main structures within the fossa include: the maxillary nerve, terminal branches of the maxillary artery and pterygopalatine ganglion. Continue reading Pterygopalatine fossa
The facial muscles control facial expression and are innervated by the facial nerve (CN VII). The main muscles include: Occipitofrontalis: the occipitalis and frontalis muscles are sometimes collectively referred to as the occipitofrontalis as they are joined by an aponeurosis across the skull. They draw back the scalp and lift the eyebrows. Orbicularis oculi: wraps around the orbit and mediates blinking. Orbicularis oris: wraps around … Continue reading Facial muscles
The facial skeleton (or vicerocranium) underlies the face and consists of 14 of the 22 skull bones. These bones form the oral and nasal cavities plus inferior portion of the orbit and include the maxillae (x2), vomer, mandible, inferior nasal conchae (x2) as well as the nasal, lacrimal, palatine and zygomatic bones (all x2). Inferiorly, the mandible is the only skull bone not connected to the … Continue reading Facial skeleton
The facial nerve provides branchiomotor innervation to all the muscles (of facial expression) derived from the second pharyngeal arch. It also carries preganglionic parasympathetic fibres for the lacrimal, submandibular, sublingual and nasal mucous glands, and taste fibres from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue. Lastly, it is partially responsible for the general sensation of the skin lining the external auditory meatus. Course A larger motor … Continue reading Facial nerve (CN VII)
The external carotid artery supplies the face, meninges and neck. It branches off the common carotid artery at the level of the thyroid cartilage’s superior border whereupon it exits the carotid sheath (unlike the internal carotid). Travelling superiorly, it gives off the superior thyroid, ascending pharyngeal, lingual, facial (grooves submandibular gland), occipital, posterior auricular, maxillary and superficial temporal arteries (the last two branches dividing in … Continue reading External carotid artery
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