Auricular Branch of Posterior Auricular Nerve
Ramus auricularis nervi auricularis posterioris
Read moreQuick Facts
Origin: Posterior auricular nerve.
Course: Runs superiorly towards the superior auricular muscle and anteriorly to the skin of the auricle.
Branches: None.
Supply: Sensory innervation of the auricle; Motor innervation to auricular muscles.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The auricular branch of the posterior auricular nerve originates where the posterior auricular nerve bifurcates, in the space just posterior to the external acoustic meatus.
Course
The auricular branch of the posterior auricular nerve runs superiorly behind the external acoustic meatus towards the superior auricular muscle. Along the way, it gives off fibers to the posterior auricular muscle and the auricle itself.
Branches
There are no named branches.
Supplied Structures
The auricular branch of the posterior auricular nerve is a mixed nerve conveying both general sensory afferent and branchial motor efferent fibers.
The general sense fibers convey sensations from portions of the skin of the external ear back to the brainstem. The motor fibers innervate the posterior and superior auricular muscles.
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Posterior Auricular Nerve
The posterior auricular nerve arises distal to the origin of the chorda tympani to innervate the skin of the auricle and pinna and provides motor branches to intrinsic auricular muscles and the occipital belly of the occipitofrontalis.
