The Zygomatic branches of the facial nerve (malar branches) run across the zygomatic bone

Zygomatic bone

The zygomatic bone is a paired bone of the human skull. It articulates with the maxilla, the temporal bone, the sphenoid bone and the frontal bone. The zygomatic is homologous to the jugal bone of other tetrapods...

 to the lateral angle of the orbit

Orbit

In physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of an object around a point in space, for example the orbit of a planet around the center of a star system, such as the Solar System...

, where they supply the Orbicularis oculi, and join with filaments from the lacrimal nerve

Lacrimal nerve

The lacrimal nerve is the smallest of the three branches of the ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve.It sometimes receives a filament from the trochlear nerve, but this is possibly derived from the branch that goes from the ophthalmic to the trochlear nerve.It passes forward in a separate...

 and the zygomaticofacial branch of the maxillary nerve.

Testing

To test the zygomatic branches of the facial nerve, a patient is asked to close their eyes tightly.

External links

- "Branches of Facial Nerve (CN VII)"

• http://www.dartmouth.edu/~humananatomy/figures/chapter_47/47-5.HTM