A review of the tragal pointer: anatomy and its importance as a landmark in surgical procedures
Muhleman, M.A.; Wartmann, C.T.; Hage, R.; Matusz, P.; Shoja, M.M.; Tubbs, R.S.; Loukas, M.
Folia Morphologica 71(2): 59-64
2012
ISSN/ISBN: 0015-5659 PMID: 22648581 Document Number: 657972
The tragal pointer has long been used as a surgical landmark for the identification of the facial nerve trunk and the maxillary artery in such procedures as parotidectomy, internal fixation of subcondylar and condylar fractures, mandibular osteotomy, temporomandibular joint arthroplasty, and percutaneous blocks of branches of the trigeminal nerve and pterygopalatine ganglion. Aside from its use as an external landmark, it has also been implicated as a contributor to crease formation in the presence of peripheral arterial disease. This article will review the available literature on the tragal pointer's use as an external landmark.