Anatomía quirúrgica de nervios facial y auricular mayor del conejo como modelo experimental / Surgical anatomy of the facial and great auricular nerves in a rabbit experimental model

Describir la anatomía quirúrgica de los nervios facial y auricular mayor del conejo como modelo experimental. Técnica quirúrgica: disección bilateral de los dos nervios en doce conejos. Se describen el patrón de distribución, reparos quirúrgicos y similitudes y diferencias con humanos. Resultados: el facial viaja por debajo del sistema musculoaponeurótico superficial y de la parótida, para dividirse en tres ramas principales: orbitaria, bucal y marginal. El auricular mayor es posterior al facial y la vena retrofacial es el reparo principal. Ambos son nervios polifasciculares. Conclusiones: el facial del conejo es un modelo para estudios de regeneración nerviosa dada su configuración polifascicular semejante al humano. El nervio auricular mayor, para injerto, es accesible en el mismo campo quirúrgico.

To describe the surgical anatomy of the facial and great auricular nerves in a rabbit experimental model. Surgical technique: bilateral dissection of both studied nerves in 12 rabbits. The anatomic distribution pattern and surgical landmarks as well as similarities and differences with human beings are described. Results: the facial nerve courses under the superficial muscular aponeurotic system and the parotid, and divides into three main branches: orbital, buccal and marginal branches. The great auricular nerve runs posterior to the facial nerve and the retrofacial vein constitutes the main landmark. Both have a multifasicular pattern. Conclusions: the facial nerve of the rabbit is a study model for nerve regeneration due to its multifascicular configuration similar to that in humans. The major auricular nerve is a study model for grafts and is accessible in the same surgical field.