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Table 2 Relation of MMN to lower border of mandible

From: Marginal mandibular nerve — a wandering enigma and ways to tackle it

First author

Type of study/no. of cases/specimens

Landmark

Relation to lower border of mandible

Balagopal

Neck dissection in 202 patients

Point where facial artery crosses LBM

Mean distance of 1.73 mm from the LBM to where MMN crossed facial artery

Batra

Embalmed cadavers, 50 facial hemi-halves

Inferior border and angle of mandible

Avg distance from the following:

1. LBM–1.2 cm

2. Angle of mandible—1.5 cm

Al-Hayani

Post-mortem study in 50 subjects

LBM

Above LBM—28%

Below LBM—44%

Above and below LBM—28%

Branches above LBM—deep to parotid fascia

Branches below LBM—located intrafascially

Liu

Cadaver dissection in 24 specimens

LBM

MMN courses within 13.4 mm above and 4.8 mm below in relation to LBM

Kim

Cadaver dissection 85 facial halves

Go, LBM, anterior border of parotid gland

Distribution of MMN nerve within Quadrilateral formed by + 19.8 mm, − 8.1 mm,+ 30.0 mm, and − 15.3 mm from 2 sides of LBM

Mean distance of 3.4 mm ± 6.0 mm from gonion to MMN at parotid anterior edge

Karapinar

Cadaver dissection of 44 facial halves

LBM

Avg distance from LBM is 21.91 mm varying from 13.06 to 40.08 mm

Hazani

18 cadaveric facial halves

Masseteric tuberosity and mental midline

MMN concluded to lie 3 mm anterior to masseteric tuberosity

S Toure

Cadaver dissection study on 54 cadavers

Inferior border and angle of mandible

Lowest MMN branch courses 17.5 mm LBM

Woltmann

45 hemifaces of 27 Brazillian cadavers

LBM

MMN courses between − 1.3 and + 1.2 cm from the LBM

57%—superior to mandibular margin

43%—below inferior mandibular margin

Ziarah

110 cadaveric cervico-facial halves

LBM

MMN found within 0.6cm above and 1.2 cm below LBM

47% above and 53% below the LBM till the nerve reaches facial vessels

Potgieter

Embalmed cadaver dissection of 36 facial halves

Angle of mandible

Median distance from angle of mandible (point A) to the nerve was 2.3 mm inferior to point A

Nason

133 neck dissections

LBM

MMN nerve found 1.25 ± 0.7 cm below the mandible when the neck was extended

54%—MMN > 1 cm below LBM

Baker

Clinical experience on parotidectomies

LBM

MMN lies 1–2 cm from LBM in almost 100% cases

Al-Qahtani

52 otolaryngeal patients

LBM and angle of mandible

Mean nerve position with respect to:

Right angle of mandible, 2.7 mm above

Right lowest point in LBM, 0.2 mm above

Left angle of mandible, 3.4 mm above

Left lowest point in LBM, 1.3 mm above

Lowest point of MMN branch from right and left angle of mandible was 10 mm and 6 mm below, respectively.

Lowest point of MMN branch from right and left lowest point in LBM was 10 mm below in both.

Highest point of MMN branch from right and left angle of mandible was 20 mm and 13 mm above, respectively.

Highest point of MMN branch from right and left lowest point in LBM was 10 mm above in both.

Huu-Mu Yang

Cadaver dissection of 12 embalmed and 4 fresh cadavers

Go, facial artery, LBM

From Go to mentum, MMN is superior to LBM in 44.8% and inferior to LBM in 55.2%.

MMN crossed LBM and reached the mandible at a mean distance of 33.1 ± 5.2 mm anterior to Go.

MMN lies within 5 mm of Go in 82.8% cases.

Khanfour

Cadaver dissection of 30 specimens

LBM

Relation of MMN and branches to LBM at a point midway between angle and symphysis menti of mandible:

80%—above at a mean distance of 1.3 ± 0.12 mm

10%—same level as LBM

10%—below at a mean distance of 1.6 ± 0.1 mm

  1. LBM lower border of mandible, Go gonion, MMN marginal mandibular nerve