The supraorbital nerve is one of two branches of the

frontal nerve The frontal nerve is the largest branch of the ophthalmic nerve (V1), itself a branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V). It supplies sensation to the skin of the forehead, the mucosa of the frontal sinus, and the skin of the upper eyelid. It may be ...

, itself a branch of the

ophthalmic nerve The ophthalmic nerve (V1) is a sensory nerve of the face. It is one of three divisions of the trigeminal nerve (CN V). It has three branches that provide sensory innervation to the eye, the skin of the upper face, and the skin of the anterior sca ...

. The other branch of the frontal nerve is the

supratrochlear nerve The supratrochlear nerve is a branch of the frontal nerve, itself a branch of the ophthalmic nerve (CN V1) from the trigeminal nerve (CN V). It provides sensory innervation to the skin of the forehead and the upper eyelid. Structure The suprat ...

Structure

The supraorbital nerve branches from the frontal nerve midway between the base and apex of the orbit. It travels anteriorly above the levator palpebrae superioris and exits the orbit through the

supraorbital foramen The supraorbital foramen, is a bony elongated opening located above the orbit (eye socket) and under the forehead. It is part of the frontal bone of the skull. The supraorbital foramen lies directly under the eyebrow. In some people this foramen i ...

(or notch) in the superior margin orbit. It exits the orbit lateral to the supratrochlear nerve. It then ascends onto the forehead beneath the

corrugator supercilii The corrugator supercilii muscle is a small, narrow, pyramidal muscle close to the eye. It arises from the medial end of the superciliary arch, and inserts into the deep surface of the skin of the eyebrow. It draws the eyebrow downward and medi ...

and

frontalis muscles The frontalis muscle () is a muscle which covers parts of the forehead of the skull. Some sources consider the frontalis muscle to be a distinct muscle. However, Terminologia Anatomica currently classifies it as part of the occipitofrontalis musc ...

and divides into a medial branch and lateral branch.

Function

The supraorbital nerve provides sensory innervation to the skin of the lateral forehead and

upper eyelid An eyelid is a thin fold of skin that covers and protects an eye. The levator palpebrae superioris muscle retracts the eyelid, exposing the cornea to the outside, giving vision. This can be either voluntarily or involuntarily. The human eyel ...

, as well as the

conjunctiva The conjunctiva is a thin mucous membrane that lines the inside of the eyelids and covers the sclera (the white of the eye). It is composed of non-keratinized, stratified squamous epithelium with goblet cells, stratified columnar epithelium ...

of the upper eyelid and mucosa of the

frontal sinus The frontal sinuses are one of the four pairs of paranasal sinuses that are situated behind the brow ridges. Sinuses are mucosa-lined airspaces within the bones of the face and skull. Each opens into the anterior part of the corresponding middle na ...

Additional images

File:Slide5abab.JPG, Superior view of a dissection of the left orbit. The frontal nerve can be seen dividing into the supratrochlear nerve, medially and the supraorbital nerve, laterally. File:Gray894.png, Anterior view of the orbit. The supraorbital nerve can be seen exiting the orbit through the supraorbital notch with the supraorbital artery.

References

{{Authority control Ophthalmic nerve