Anatomical Study of the Communication Between the Mental Nerve and Marginal Mandibular Branch of the Facial Nerve

Joe Iwanaga; Naotaka Kishimoto; Soichiro Ibaragi; Juan J Cardona; Arada Chaiyamoon; Mi-Sun Hur; Yoshiaki Nakamura; Jingo Kusukawa; R Shane Tubbs

doi:10.7759/cureus.33733

Anatomical Study of the Communication Between the Mental Nerve and Marginal Mandibular Branch of the Facial Nerve

Cureus. 2023 Jan 13;15(1):e33733. doi: 10.7759/cureus.33733. eCollection 2023 Jan.

Authors

Joe Iwanaga^{1

2

3}, Naotaka Kishimoto⁴, Soichiro Ibaragi⁵, Juan J Cardona¹, Arada Chaiyamoon⁶, Mi-Sun Hur⁷, Yoshiaki Nakamura⁸, Jingo Kusukawa⁹, R Shane Tubbs^{1

2

10

11

12

13}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, USA.
² Department of Neurology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, USA.
³ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Anatomy, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, JPN.
⁴ Dental Anesthesiology, Faculty of Dentistry and Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, JPN.
⁵ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, JPN.
⁶ Department of Anatomy, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, THA.
⁷ Department of Anatomy, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine, Daegu, KOR.
⁸ Department of Dental and Oral Surgery, Saiseikai Hita Hospital, Hita, JPN.
⁹ Department of Dental and Oral Surgery, Dental and Oral Medical Center, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, JPN.
¹⁰ Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, USA.
¹¹ Department of Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, USA.
¹² Department of Anatomical Sciences, St. George's University School of Medicine, St. George's, GRD.
¹³ Department of Neurosurgery, Ochsner Neuroscience Institute, Ochsner Health System, New Orleans, USA.

Abstract

Background Trigeminal-facial nerve communications have been recognized for over 100 years. More specifically, the mental nerve (MN) and marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve (MMb) communication have been studied but the termination of these branches remains unclear. Therefore, we aim to classify the anatomical communication between the MN and MMb by its course. Methods Sixty sides from thirty adult cadaveric heads were dissected. The communicating branches were dissected and observed anatomically and histologically. Results Communication between the MN and MMb was found on all sides. Based on the course, the communication was classified into two types, superior and anterior. For the superior type, a small branch of the MN and MMb join and travel superiorly to reach the lower lip area. The communication was observed at the level of the mental foramen or above it. For the anterior type, a small branch of the MN and MMb join and travel anteriorly to reach the chin area. The termination was either in the subcutaneous tissue of the chin or in the mentalis. This communication was observed below the mental foramen. Histological observation revealed that these communications contained two or more perineuria. Conclusions Although the function of such neural communications is still unclear, this study helps better understand the anatomical variants of these unions and provides a novel classification system.

Keywords: anatomy; cadaver; communication; facial nerve; mental nerve.