Facial Nerve Axonal Analysis and Anatomical Localization in Donor Nerve: Optimizing Axonal Load for Cross-Facial Nerve Grafting in Facial Reanimation

Abstract

Branches with adequate axonal load were found in all specimens. The likelihood of adequate branch selection improved from 61 percent to 92 percent with short retrograde intraparotid dissection. Nerve diameter correlated with axonal load.