Dissection of the parotid gland and facial nerve - Erler Zimmer 3D anatomy Series MP1112

This model is part of the exclusive Monash 3D anatomy series, a comprehensive series of human dissections reproduced with ultra-high resolution color 3D printing.

This 3D model provides a surface dissection window in the lateral face to demonstrate the anatomy of the parotid gland with respect to surface features and neurovascular structures.
These structures are of particular importance for management in Mohs surgery in the management of skin tumors or in some plastic and reconstructive surgical procedures.
The open window extends from just anterior to the outer ear, from the level of the zygomatic arch to the angle of the mandible, and extends from the anterior margin of the masseter muscle to the origin of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Within the window, most of the parotid gland is exposed, with the upper portions of the gland removed to demonstrate that the superficial temporal artery and facial nerve divide into the upper terminal branches (e.g., temporal, zygomatic, and buccal). The parotid duct crosses the open dissection window before passing toward the buccal region (and its termination in the buccinator muscle). An ascending branch of the great auricular nerve can be observed along the inferior and posterior margins of the parotid gland, and just anterior to the sternocleidomastoid.

What advantages does the Monash University anatomical dissection collection offer over plastic models or plastinated human specimens?

• Each body replica has been carefully created from selected patient X-ray data or human cadaver specimens selected by a highly trained team of anatomists at the Monash University Center for Human Anatomy Education to illustrate a range of clinically important areas of anatomy with a quality and fidelity that cannot be achieved with conventional anatomical models-this is real anatomy, not stylized anatomy.
• Each body replica has been rigorously checked by a team of highly trained anatomists at the Center for Human Anatomy Education, Monash University, to ensure the anatomical accuracy of the final product.
• The body replicas are not real human tissue and therefore not subject to any barriers of transportation, import, or use in educational facilities that do not hold an anatomy license. The Monash 3D Anatomy dissection series avoids these and other ethical issues that are raised when dealing with plastinated human remains.