Masseteric nerve block for masseter muscle pain--a clinical note.

This article describes a technique for the delivery of local anesthetic to the masseteric nerve just before it innervates the masseter muscle. As the mandibular division (V3) of the trigeminal nerve exits foramen ovale, the anterior division of V3 along with the masseteric nerve travels in the infratemporal fossa. Eventually, the masseteric nerve passes through the mandibular notch to innervate the masseter muscle. With the aid of a cadaveric dissection, an infiltration technique for the regional blockade of the masseter muscle was devised. The masseteric nerve block is an effective technique for obtaining anesthesia in the whole masseter muscle. This peripheral nerve block provides another modality for the treatment of acute and chronic masseter muscle pain. The masseteric nerve block can also be used diagnostically to verify the source of pain.