Anatomy of the mandibular branches of the facial nerve.

In operative dissections of mandibular branches of the facial nerve, we identified certain branches below the inferior border of the mandible in all cases. These usually supplied the depressor labii inferioris and mentalis muscles, though infrequently the branch to the depressor anguli oris was also below the mandible. At least 3 nerve branches were identified in all dissections. The clinical applications of this include the necessity to identify and protect these nerve branches during operations in the submandibular triangle, as well as when incising the platysma muscle or removing fat from over the body of the mandible in a face-lift procedure.