Anatomy of Facial nerve ❖The facial nerve contains approximately 10,000 fibers. ❖7000 myelinated fibers innervate the muscles of facial expression, stapedius muscle, postauricular muscles, posterior belly of digastric muscle, and platysma ❖3000 fibers form the nervus intermedius (Nerve of Wrisberg) – sensory fibers (taste) from the anterior 2/3 of the tongue – taste fibers from soft palate via palatine and greater petrosal nerve – parasympathetic secretomotor fibers to the parotid, submandibular, sublingual, and lacrimal gland 2 Supranuclear segment Cerebral cortex Corticobulbar tract Facial nucleus (pons) ➢Upper face → crossed & uncrossed ➢Lower face → crossed only
Anatomy Intracranial part ( 15-17 mm ) Intratemporal part