The great auricular nerve is the largest of the ascending branches of the
cervical plexus.
Origin It arises from the second and third cervical (spinal) nerves (C2-C3),'''
Course and relations The great auricular nerve is a large trunk that ascends almost vertically over the sternocleidomastoid.'''''' It winds around the posterior border of the
sternocleidomastoid muscle, then perforates the
deep fascia before ascending alongside the
external jugular vein upon that
sternocleidomastoid muscle beneath the
platysma muscle to the
parotid gland. Upon reaching the parotid gland, it divides into an anterior branch and a posterior branch.
Branches Anterior branch The anterior branch (or facial branch) is distributed to the skin of the face over the
parotid gland. It communicates with the
facial nerve (CN VII) inside the parotid gland.
Posterior branch The posterior branch (or mastoid branch) innervates the skin over the
mastoid process, on the back of the
auricle (save for its upper part), of the
lobule, and of the lower part of the
concha. The posterior branch communicates with the
lesser occipital nerve, the
auricular branch of the vagus, and the
posterior auricular branch of the facial.
Distribution The great auricular nerve is distributed to the skin of the face over the
angle of the mandible'
and parotid gland (via anterior branch), skin over of the mastoid region (i.e. skin over the mastoid process) (via posterior branch), parts of the auricle (posterior branch), and the parotid gland and parotid fascia.' == Clinical significance ==