Research status of facial nerve repair

Abstract

The facial nerve, also known as the seventh cranial nerve, is critical in controlling the movement of the facial muscles. It is responsible for all facial expressions, such as smiling, frowning, and moving the eyebrows. However, damage to this nerve can occur for a variety of reasons, including maxillofacial surgery, trauma, tumors, and infections. Facial nerve injuries can cause severe functional impairment and can lead to different degrees of facial paralysis, significantly affecting the quality of life of patients. Over the past ten years, significant progress has been made in the field of facial nerve repair. Different approaches, including direct suture, autologous nerve grafts, and tissue engineering, have been utilized for the repair of facial nerve injury. This article mainly summarizes the clinical methods and basic research progress of facial nerve repair in the past ten years.

Keywords: Facial nerve; Maxillofacial surgery; Regeneration; Repair.

Fig. 1

The distribution of facial nerves on the face after being emitted from the facial nerve nucleus located in the brainstem.

Fig. 2

Various treatment methods are mainly applied to facial nerve injury repair, including clinical treatment methods and related basic research.