The hypoglossal-facial nerve repair as a method to improve recovery of motor function after facial nerve injury

Abstract

Nerve repair after facial nerve injury provides neural input to the distal facial nerve and facial musculature via a variety of motor nerves such as hypoglossal, spinal accessory, masseteric branch of the trigeminal nerve and motor branches of the cervical plexus. The most commonly used procedure is the hypoglossal-facial nerve transfer. This cross-nerve paradigm is a unique nerve repair method as one motor nerve takes over the function of another motor nerve. The hypoglossal-facial nerve repair was reviewed by means of history, terminology, technical variations, and its capacity for recovery of function.