In orbital floor fracture, hypoesthesia of the cheek indicates injury to which nerve?

• A. Supraorbital Nerve
• B. Optic Nerve
• C. Oculomotor Nerve
• D. Infraorbital Nerve

Answer: (D)

Hypoesthesia of the cheek in an orbital floor fracture points to injury of the infraorbital nerve. This sensory branch of the maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve travels through the infraorbital canal and exits at the infraorbital foramen to supply sensation to the cheek, lower eyelid, upper lip, and side of the nose. A blowout fracture can damage or compress the nerve in the infraorbital groove or canal, producing numbness in its distribution. The other nerves don’t supply cheek sensation: the supraorbital nerve covers the forehead and scalp, the optic nerve is for vision, and the oculomotor nerve controls eye muscles. So the cheek hypoesthesia is best explained by infraorbital nerve injury.