The zygomaticotemporal nerve (zygomaticotemporal branch, temporal branch) is a small

nerve A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons) in the peripheral nervous system. A nerve transmits electrical impulses. It is the basic unit of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the ...

of the

face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...

. It is derived from the zygomatic nerve, a branch of the

maxillary nerve In neuroanatomy, the maxillary nerve (V) is one of the three branches or divisions of the trigeminal nerve, the fifth (CN V) cranial nerve. It comprises the principal functions of sensation from the maxilla, nasal cavity, sinuses, the pala ...

(CN V₂). It is distributed to the skin of the side of the

forehead In human anatomy, the forehead is an area of the head bounded by three features, two of the skull and one of the scalp. The top of the forehead is marked by the hairline, the edge of the area where hair on the scalp grows. The bottom of the fo ...

. It communicates with the

facial nerve The facial nerve, also known as the seventh cranial nerve, cranial nerve VII, or simply CN VII, is a cranial nerve that emerges from the pons of the brainstem, controls the muscles of facial expression, and functions in the conveyance of taste ...

and with the

auriculotemporal branch The auriculotemporal nerve is a branch of the mandibular nerve (CN V3) that runs with the superficial temporal artery and vein, and provides sensory innervation to various regions on the side of the head. Structure Origin The auriculotempor ...

of the

mandibular nerve In neuroanatomy, the mandibular nerve (V) is the largest of the three divisions of the trigeminal nerve, the fifth cranial nerve (CN V). Unlike the other divisions of the trigeminal nerve ( ophthalmic nerve, maxillary nerve) which contain only ...

Structure

The zygomaticotemporal nerve is a branch of the zygomatic nerve, a branch of the maxillary nerve. It runs along the lateral wall of the orbit in a groove in the

zygomatic bone In the human skull, the zygomatic bone (from grc, ζῠγόν, zugón, yoke), also called cheekbone or malar bone, is a paired irregular bone which articulates with the maxilla, the temporal bone, the sphenoid bone and the frontal bone. It is s ...

, receives a branch of communication from the lacrimal nerve, and passes through the

zygomaticotemporal foramen In the human skull, the zygomatic bone (from grc, ζῠγόν, zugón, yoke), also called cheekbone or malar bone, is a paired irregular bone which articulates with the maxilla, the temporal bone, the sphenoid bone and the frontal bone. It i ...

in the zygomatic bone to enter the

temporal fossa The temporal fossa is a fossa (shallow depression) on the side of the skull bounded by the temporal lines and terminating below the level of the zygomatic arch. Boundaries * Medial: frontal bone, parietal bone, temporal bone, and sphenoid bon ...

. It ascends between the bone and the substance of the

temporalis muscle In anatomy, the temporalis muscle, also known as the temporal muscle, is one of the muscles of mastication (chewing). It is a broad, fan-shaped convergent muscle on each side of the head that fills the temporal fossa, superior to the zygomati ...

. It pierces the

temporal fascia The temporal fascia covers the temporalis muscle. It is a strong, fibrous investment, covered, laterally, by the auricularis anterior and superior, by the galea aponeurotica, and by part of the orbicularis oculi. The superficial temporal vesse ...

about 2.5 cm above the

zygomatic arch In anatomy, the zygomatic arch, or cheek bone, is a part of the skull formed by the zygomatic process of the temporal bone (a bone extending forward from the side of the skull, over the opening of the ear) and the temporal process of the zygo ...

. This is around 17 mm lateral to and 6.5 mm superior to the lateral palpebral fissure. It is distributed to the skin of the side of the

. The zygomaticotemporal nerve communicates with 2 other nerves, although the function of this is unknown. These nerves include: * the

(in most people). This communication is around 36 mm lateral to and 2 mm superior to the lateral canthus (corner of the eye). * the

of the

(V₃). As it pierces the

, it gives off a small branch, which runs between the two layers of the fascia to the lateral angle of the

orbit In celestial mechanics, an orbit is the curved trajectory of an object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an artificial satellite around an object or position in space such as ...

References

External links

* * * http://www.dartmouth.edu/~humananatomy/figures/chapter_47/47-2.HTM {{Authority control Maxillary nerve