Head and neck: facial nerve branches: practice question

A Anatomy question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Anatomy · Head and neck: facial nerve branches

Sample item

After superficial parotidectomy for a pleomorphic adenoma, a woman cannot wrinkle her right forehead or raise the right eyebrow. The rest of her face moves normally. Which branch of the facial nerve is injured?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Temporal branch

The facial nerve leaves the skull at the stylomastoid foramen and divides in the parotid gland into temporal, zygomatic, buccal, marginal mandibular and cervical branches. The temporal branch supplies frontalis and the upper orbicularis oculi, so injury causes loss of forehead wrinkling.

Option by option

  • A. Cervical branch

    The cervical branch supplies platysma, with no effect on the forehead.

  • B. Buccal branch

    The buccal branch supplies buccinator and the upper lip muscles, not frontalis.

  • C. Temporal branch (correct)

    Correct. The temporal branch supplies frontalis for brow elevation.

  • D. Marginal mandibular branch

    The marginal mandibular branch supplies the lower lip depressors, giving an asymmetric smile.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Anatomy questions

Questions about this Anatomy question

What is the answer to this Anatomy question?

The best answer is C, Temporal branch. The facial nerve leaves the skull at the stylomastoid foramen and divides in the parotid gland into temporal, zygomatic, buccal, marginal mandibular and cervical branches.

Why is "Cervical branch" not the answer?

The cervical branch supplies platysma, with no effect on the forehead.

Why is "Buccal branch" not the answer?

The buccal branch supplies buccinator and the upper lip muscles, not frontalis.

Why is "Marginal mandibular branch" not the answer?

The marginal mandibular branch supplies the lower lip depressors, giving an asymmetric smile.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Head and neck: facial nerve branches in Anatomy. The temporal branch supplies frontalis and the upper orbicularis oculi, so injury causes loss of forehead wrinkling.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Head and neck: facial nerve branches?

Learn every nerve by its route, its muscles and what a lesion looks like at the bedside. That one habit answers a large share of questions. Then use the flashcards and the other Anatomy questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.