Preserving the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve during submandibular region surgery: a cadaveric safety study

Table 1 A summary of the studies describing the maximum downward deviation of the MMBFN from the lower border of the mandible (MMBFN – Marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve)

Year of publication	Country	Sample size (hemifacies)	Maximum deviation of the MMBFN (mm)	Recommended distance for the incision from the angle of mandible (cm)	Special topographical findings
1996 [10]	Germany	55	14.00	2	MMBFN had up to 4 branches
2012 [11]	Turkey	44	40.08	None	Branches of MMBFN - one branch (36.4%), two branches 63.6%. Communications with the buccal branch was present in 4.6%
2007 [12]	Turkey	50	10.04	2	MMBFN ran above the inferior border of the mandible in 74%. In 22% of the times the MMBFN divided into two branches at the crossing point of the facial artery
2004 [13]	France	54	17.5	None	Single branch of MMBFN was found in 43%
1980 [15]	England	110	12.0	2	Communications between the MMBFN and the buccal branch were observed in 8%. Communications between the MMBFN and the cervical branch were observed in 12%.
2016 [16]	Korea	29	17.0	2	There were no significant differences of the observed distances in fresh and embalmed cadavers
2007 [18]	China	24	4.8	None
1991 [19]	China	120	Between 2.1 and 3.0	3	Only 10% of the rami of the MMBFN ran below the lower border of the mandible
2009 [20]	Korea	85	19.8	Does not need to be far as 3–4 cm

ISSN: 1754-9493