Facial muscles
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created James Condon had no recorded disclosures.
View James Condon's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Daniel J Bell had no recorded disclosures.
View Daniel J Bell's current disclosures- Muscles of facial expression
- Muscle of facial expression
- Mimetic muscles
- Facial muscle
- Musculi faciales
The facial muscles, also known as the muscles of facial expression or mimetic muscles (TA: musculi faciales), enable facial expression and serve as sphincters and dilators of the orifices of the face. These muscles differ from those of other regions in the body as there is no fascia deep to the skin of the face; many of the facial muscles insert directly into the skin 1. The fibers from many of the muscles also pass into/through the modiolus.
On this page:
Gross anatomy
In terms of location and function the facial muscles can be subdivided as follows:
Epicranial
- epicranius muscle
- occipitofrontalis muscle
- temporoparietalis muscle
Circumorbital and palpebral
Nasal
- procerus muscle
- nasalis muscle
- myrtiformis muscle
- depressor septi nasalis muscle
- levator labii superioris alaeque nasalis (LLSAN) muscle
- orbicularis oris muscle
Buccolabial
Elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip:
- levator labii superioris alaeque nasalis (LLSAN) muscle
- levator labii superioris muscle
- zygomaticus major muscle
- zygomaticus minor muscle
- malaris muscle
- levator anguli oris muscle
- risorius muscle
Depressors, retractors and evertors of the lower lip:
Compound sphincter:
Arterial supply
They are supplied primarily by the facial artery, a branch of the external carotid artery.
Venous drainage
The facial vein provides the primary venous drainage of most of the mimetic muscles.
Innervation
They are innervated by branches of the facial nerve (VII).
Development
The facial muscles arise from the mesenchyme of the second branchial arch.
References
- 1. Susan Standring. Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. (2008) ISBN: 9780443066849 - Google Books
- 2. Daniel R, Glasz T, Molnar G, Palhazi P, Saban Y, Journel B. The Lower Nasal Base: An Anatomical Study. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2013;33(2):222-32. doi:10.1177/1090820x12472695
- 3. FIPAT. Terminologia Anatomica. 2nd Ed. FIPAT.library.dal.ca. Federative International Programme for Anatomical Terminology, 2019. https://fipat.library.dal.ca/TA2/
Incoming Links
- Depressor anguli oris muscle
- Depressor supercilii muscle
- Compressor naris muscle
- Levator labii superioris alaeque nasalis muscle
- Facial nucleus
- Levator anguli oris muscle
- Depressor septi nasalis muscle
- Nasalis muscle
- Branchial apparatus
- Levator labii superioris muscle
- Levator palpebrae superioris muscle
- Risorius muscle
- Myrtiformis muscle
- Zygomaticus muscles
- Mentalis muscle
- Buccinator muscle
- Zygomaticus minor muscle
- Buccolabial muscles
- Dilator naris muscle
- Incisivus labii inferioris muscle
Related articles: Anatomy: Head and neck
- skeleton of the head and neck
-
cranial vault
- scalp (mnemonic)
- fontanelle
-
sutures
- calvarial
- facial
- frontozygomatic suture
- frontomaxillary suture
- frontolacrimal suture
- frontonasal suture
- temporozygomatic suture
- zygomaticomaxillary suture
- parietotemporal suture (parietomastoid suture)
- occipitotemporal suture (occipitomastoid suture)
- sphenofrontal suture
- sphenozygomatic suture
- spheno-occipital suture (not a true suture)
- lacrimomaxillary suture
- nasomaxillary suture
- internasal suture
- basal/internal
- skull landmarks
- frontal bone
- temporal bone
- parietal bone
- occipital bone
- skull base (foramina)
-
facial bones
- midline single bones
- paired bilateral bones
- cervical spine
- hyoid bone
- laryngeal cartilages
-
cranial vault
- muscles of the head and neck
- muscles of the tongue (mnemonic)
- muscles of mastication
-
facial muscles
- epicranius muscle
- circumorbital and palpebral muscles
- nasal muscles
-
buccolabial muscles
- elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip
- levator labii superioris alaeque nasalis muscle
- levator labii superioris muscle
- zygomaticus major muscle
- zygomaticus minor muscle
- levator anguli oris muscle
- malaris muscle
- risorius muscle
- depressors, retractors and evertors of the lower lip
- depressor labii inferioris muscle
- depressor anguli oris muscle
- mentalis muscle
- compound sphincter
-
orbicularis oris muscle
- incisivus labii superioris muscle
- incisivus labii inferioris muscle
-
orbicularis oris muscle
- muscle of mastication
- modiolus
- elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip
- muscles of the middle ear
- orbital muscles
- muscles of the soft palate
- pharyngeal muscles
- suprahyoid muscles
- infrahyoid muscles
- intrinsic muscles of the larynx
- muscles of the neck
- platysma muscle
- longus colli muscle
- longus capitis muscle
- scalenus anterior muscle
- scalenus medius muscle
- scalenus posterior muscle
- scalenus pleuralis muscle
- sternocleidomastoid muscle
-
suboccipital muscles
- rectus capitis posterior major muscle
- rectus capitis posterior minor muscle
- obliquus capitis superior muscle
- obliquus capitis inferior muscle
- accessory muscles of the neck
- deep cervical fascia
-
deep spaces of the neck
- anterior cervical space
- buccal space
- carotid space
- danger space
- deep cervical fascia
- infratemporal fossa
- masticator space
- parapharyngeal space
- stylomandibular tunnel
- parotid space
- pharyngeal (superficial) mucosal space
- perivertebral space
- posterior cervical space
- pterygopalatine fossa
- retropharyngeal space
- suprasternal space (of Burns)
- visceral space
- surgical triangles of the neck
- orbit
- ear
- paranasal sinuses
- upper respiratory tract
- viscera of the neck
- blood supply of the head and neck
-
arterial supply
-
common carotid artery
- carotid body
- carotid bifurcation
- subclavian artery
- variants
-
common carotid artery
- venous drainage
-
arterial supply
- innervation of the head and neck
-
cranial nerves
- olfactory nerve (CN I)
- optic nerve (CN II)
- oculomotor nerve (CN III)
- trochlear nerve (CN IV)
-
trigeminal nerve (CN V) (mnemonic)
- trigeminal ganglion
- ophthalmic division
- maxillary division
- mandibular division
- abducens nerve (CN VI)
- facial nerve (CN VII)
-
vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)
- vestibular ganglion (Scarpa's ganglion)
- glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
- vagus nerve (CN X)
- (spinal) accessory nerve (CN XI)
- hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
- parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck
- cervical sympathetic ganglia
- greater occipital nerve
- third occipital nerve
-
cervical plexus
- muscular branches
- longus capitis
- longus colli
- scalenes
- geniohyoid
- thyrohyoid
-
ansa cervicalis
- omohyoid (superior and inferior bellies separately)
- sternothyroid
- sternohyoid
- phrenic nerve
- contribution to the accessory nerve (CN XI)
- cutaneous branches
- muscular branches
- brachial plexus
- pharyngeal plexus
-
cranial nerves
- lymphatic drainage of the head and neck
- embryological development of the head and neck