title: The course of the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve in adult cadavers. An anatomic study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the course of the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve (MMBFN) and its relation to the inferior border of the mandible and facial vessels.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cadaveric study was conducted at the Department of Anatomy, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey from April to September 2012. The 44 facial halves of 22 adult cadavers were dissected under a stereomicroscope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The nerve was found to be presented by one branch (36.4%), and 2 branches (63.6%). The distance of the nerve from the inferior border of the mandible varied from 13.06-40.08 mm, with an average distance of 21.91 mm. There were communications with buccal branch only in 2 specimens (4.6%). All the branches of the marginal mandibular branch ran laterally to the facial artery in 43 (97.7%) of the 44 specimens. In one specimen, the 2 marginal mandibular branches ran between the facial artery and vein.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The MMBFN can occasionally be damaged during surgeries confined to the submandibular region due to its location and anatomical variant. The most common pattern of MMBFN was nerve with 2 branches. The maximum distance between the MMBFN and the mandible was 40.08 mm. This anatomical knowledge may be useful to surgeons of the head and neck in planning incisions and procedures in the submandibular region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Bursa Military Hospital, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ugur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Karapinar
authors.forename: Cenk
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.forename: Bilal
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cetin
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Saglam
authors.forename: Engin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dursun
authors.forename: Muzaffer
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Durmus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002102:Cadaver; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008340:Mandibular Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008875:Middle Aged