Outpatient Facility Coding Alert

Take a look at the anatomy to find coding success.

The trigeminal nerve is the fifth of the 12 pairs of cranial nerves that arise directly from the brain. It carries sensory impulses from the face to the brain. It also carries motor impulses from the brain to the jaw area. 

The trigeminal nerve has three major divisions: 

• Ophthalmic nerve. The ophthalmic nerve is also referred to as V1 since it is the first division of the fifth cranial nerve. 
• Maxillary nerve (V2). 
• Mandibular nerve (V3). 

These three divisions all arise from the gasserian ganglion. Some other trigeminal branches that may be injected by pain specialists include the infraorbital, auriculotemporal, and frontal nerves.