The intratemporal course variations of facial nerve in wet cadaveric temporal bones: an observational study in kles dr. Prabhakar kore hospital, belagavi.

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Facial nerve controls facial expression, and this is an essential component of human social communication. The 7th cranial nerve or the facial nerve, is highly tortuous through its course, and has the longest course through a bony canal out of all the nerves in body. It is divided into various parts as it traverses from its intracranial till it ends into five end branches. The intratemporal part travels in a bony canal, and in case of any pre-existing bony dehiscences, is highly vulnerable to iatrogenic injuries during middle ear and mastoid surgeries (incidence = 0.6%-3.7% in otological procedures). The paralysis of facial nerve is one the most noticeable neuropathy out of all cranial nerves. Iatrogenic injury to this tortuously coursing nerve is one of the otorhinolaryngology surgeon’s greatest fears during ear surgery. Therefore, the surgeon who works in this area needs perfect anatomic knowledge as well as experience, and this is can be achieved by repeated temporal bone dissections. Few studies, especially in India, have been performed on morphometric relations like depth from fixed surgically accessible reference landmarks of facial nerve with other structures of temporal bone. The objective of this study is to acquire a thorough knowledge of intratemporal course of facial nerve and its variations and extrapolating the knowledge of it in a live real surgery, aiming to reduce the risk of facial nerve injuries. The study also aims to understand the surgical anatomy of the facial nerve related structures.