Great Auricular Nerve

Description

Posterior head and neck anatomy is presented with the occipital and parietal bones superiorly and the upper cervical vertebrae (atlas and axis region) inferiorly, establishing the bony framework behind the cervical plexus. Arising from the ventral rami of C2 and C3, the great auricular nerve is traced as it ascends on the lateral neck, then curves superiorly toward the parotid region and auricle. Its course is shown in relation to adjacent superficial cervical plexus branches that fan across the posterior triangle. Curvature and surface trajectory are the point. Great auricular nerve anatomy matters because it is the main sensory supply to the skin over the parotid gland, mastoid region, and much of the lower pinna, and it crosses the sternocleidomastoid in a location routinely encountered during parotidectomy, facelift approaches, and cervical lymph node biopsy. Injury produces a characteristic postoperative numbness over the ear lobule and angle of the mandible, a complaint patients notice immediately. The model’s posterior orientation also helps teach why the nerve is classically vulnerable near the midpoint of the sternocleidomastoid, close to the punctum nervosum (Erb point), where multiple superficial cervical plexus branches emerge. Ideal for gross anatomy and head and neck surgery teaching when you need a clean explanation of cervical plexus branching without soft tissue clutter, and for otolaryngology or plastic surgery publications discussing sensory deficits after parotid or rhytidectomy incisions. It also supports patient education diagrams for expected sensory changes around the auricle after neck procedures. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.