Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 28, 2026
05:04
Facial Nerve Surgery in the Rat Model to Study Axonal Inhibition and Regeneration
Published on: May 5, 2020
8.2K
Easy and Safe Method for Facial Nerve Identification in Parotid Surgery
Shawn T Joseph1, Shetty Sharankumar1, C J Sandya2
1Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Amrita University, Kochi, Kerala, India.
Journal of Neurological Surgery. Part B, Skull Base
|December 19, 2015
Summary
A new anatomical landmark, the trident landmark, reliably identifies the facial nerve during parotid surgery. This method uses the styloid process and digastric muscle for safe and accurate facial nerve localization.
Area of Science:
- Anatomy
- Surgical Procedures
- Nerve Identification
Background:
- Facial nerve identification is crucial in parotid surgery.
- Current methods may lack consistency or safety.
- A novel anatomical landmark is proposed for improved identification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a new anatomical landmark for facial nerve identification.
- To assess the consistency, accuracy, and safety of this landmark.
- To provide a reliable method for surgeons during parotidectomy.
Main Methods:
- Cadaveric dissection to initially study anatomy.
- Radiologic assessment of 200 temporal styloid regions for landmark consistency.
- Measurement of distance between landmarks in 50 parotid regions.
- Prospective clinical study involving 25 parotidectomy patients.
Main Results:
- The styloid base was consistently present in all radiologic images.
- The mean distance between the styloid base and posterior belly of digastric origin was 0.72 cm.
- Facial nerve identification was consistently safe and accurate in all clinical cases.
Conclusions:
- The proposed trident landmark offers a safe, accurate, and easy method for facial nerve identification.
- Utilizes two fixed bony landmarks: styloid process base and posterior belly of digastric muscle.
- Enhances surgical precision and patient safety in parotid gland surgery.
