Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 26, 2025
Author Spotlight: A Focus on Standardized Salivary Gland Ultrasound Protocol in Connective Tissue Disease Research
Published on: October 13, 2023
A new and reliable landmark in parotid surgery: tragomastoid groove (Akil Groove)
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Dicle University, Diyarbakır, Turkey. vefakinis@hotmail.com.
Objective:
Parotid surgery is a frequently performed surgery in otorhinolaryngology practice with many possible complications. Due to the high ratio of facial paralysis during parotid surgery, we defined a new landmark for identifying and protecting the facial nerve as early as possible during surgery.
Materials And Methods:
The study was designed as a prospective anatomical method. The important details and relationship of the tragomastoid groove to the facial nerve truncus were examined during surgery on 30 patients. In addition, the demographics of the patients, the type of surgery and the pathological results of surgeries were evaluated.
Results:
The mean distance of the tragomastoid groove to the facial nerve truncus was 20.53±1.71 mm, the mean deepness of the tragomastoid groove was 1.91±0.26 mm, and the mean superficial part of the tragomastoid groove was 0.83±0.23 mm. The tragomastoid groove was situated either across from the facial nerve at the place where the facial nerve truncus exits the stylomastoid foramen or just inferior to the truncus in all patients.
Conclusions:
The tragomastoid groove was defined for the first time in the literature as a reliable landmark for identifying the facial nerve truncus easily during parotid surgery.
More Related Videos
10:23Author Spotlight: Three-Dimensional Cephalometric Landmark Annotation Demonstration on Human Cone Beam Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: September 8, 2023
19:53Single-stage Dynamic Reanimation of the Smile in Irreversible Facial Paralysis by Free Functional Muscle Transfer
Published on: March 1, 2015
Related Concept Videos
01:14Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View
The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...
01:27Cranial Bones: Lateral View
The temporal bone forms the lower lateral side of the skull. The temporal bone is subdivided into several regions. The flattened upper portion is the squamous portion of the temporal bone. Below this area and projecting anteriorly is the zygomatic process of the temporal bone, which forms the posterior portion of the zygomatic arch. Posteriorly is the mastoid portion of the temporal bone. Projecting...