Buccal Branch of the Facial Nerve, Lateral View

Description

Seen in lateral aspect, the facial nerve emerges from the parotid region and gives rise to the buccal branch coursing anteriorly across the masseter before breaking into multiple rami over the cheek. Superiorly, the buccal rami track toward the zygomatic region and the lateral nose, while inferior rami descend toward the upper lip and angle of the mouth, interlacing with adjacent facial nerve branches. The parotid gland lies posterior to this plexiform spread, and the temporalis, masseter, and sternocleidomastoid provide muscular landmarks that frame the nerve’s superficial trajectory. Buccal branch anatomy matters any time you work in the anterior parotid and midface. During parotidectomy, facelift dissection, or repair of cheek lacerations, these motor fibers are at risk where they cross superficial to the masseter and then run in the subcutaneous plane toward orbicularis oris and the elevators of the upper lip. Injury produces the clinical pattern everyone recognizes, asymmetric smile, loss of upper lip elevation, and oral incompetence, and the lateral view clarifies why small incisions near the parotid duct or zygomatic arch can have outsized functional consequences. Use this plate for head and neck anatomy teaching on the facial nerve’s extracranial branching, or for operative atlases describing parotid approaches, rhytidectomy planes, and safe zones in midface surgery. It also fits well in patient education and medico-legal documentation when mapping facial nerve deficits after trauma or tumor resection. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.