Auriculotemporal nerve

Changed by Craig Hacking ◉ , 1 May 2017

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The auriculotemporal nerve is a sensory branch of the posterior division of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve.

Gross anatomy

The auriculotemporalnervedivides posteriorly from the posterior division of the mandibular division before dividing into two roots separate to encircle the middle meningeal artery just as it ascends to enter the foramen spinosum. The two roots then rejoin to pass laterally between the neck of the mandible and the sphenomandibular ligament, and then between the temporomandibular joint and the external auditory meatus, giving off small articular branches to the temporomandibular joint. At the upper border of the parotid gland it supplies the sheath of the gland and then terminates as two cutaneous branches:

an auricularbranch which supplies the:
- external acoustic meatus
- external surface of the tympanic membrane along with the greater auricular nerve (the internal surface is supplied by the glossopharyngeal nerve)
- skin of the lateral auricle anterior to the external acoustic meatus. The remainder of the auricle is supplied by the greater auricular nerve (C2, C3)
a temporalbranch which ascends posterior to the superficial temporal vessels over the root of the zygoma to supply the posterior half of the temple, that is the ‘hairy skin’ of the temple. The anterior half of the temple ("skin of the hairless temple” is supplied by the zygomaticotemporal nerve from the maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve.

The auriculotemporalnervereceives sympathetic fibres from the middle meningeal artery and secretomotor parasympathetic fibres (which derive from the otic ganglion) from the lesser petrosal nerve, both which supply the parotid gland.

References changed:

1. Keith L. Moore, Arthur F. Dalley. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?vid=ISBN9780683061413">ISBN: 9780683061413</a>
2. Robert H. Whitaker, Neil R. Borley. Instant Anatomy. <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?vid=ISBN9780632054039">ISBN: 9780632054039</a>
3. Mcminn. Last's Anatomy. <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?vid=ISBN9780729537520">ISBN: 9780729537520</a>

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