Levator labii superioris alaeque nasalis muscle
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Bell D, Levator labii superioris alaeque nasalis muscle. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 08 Jan 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-69364
rID:
69364
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Daniel J Bell had no recorded disclosures.
View Daniel J Bell's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Daniel J Bell had no recorded disclosures.
View Daniel J Bell's current disclosures
Revisions:
4 times, by
1 contributor -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Synonyms:
- Levator labii superioris alaeque nasalis (LLSAN)
- Alaris muscle
- Labiocolumellaris muscle
- Labiocolumellaris muscles
- Levator labii superioris alaeque nasalis muscles
- Alaris muscles
Levator labii superioris alaeque nasalis (LLSAN) muscle is traditionally thought of as a muscle of the mouth, but is also a crucial muscle of the nose, a subset of the facial muscles 1. Interestingly, it has the longest name of any muscle in the human body.
On this page:
Summary
- origin: maxilla, nasal bone, medial canthus
- insertion: nasal base
- innervation: facial nerve (VII)
- action: depressor of the tip of the nostril
Gross anatomy
Origin
- its fibers originate from the frontal process of the maxilla, nasal bone, and medial canthus (of the eye)
Insertion
- its muscle fibers pass inferiorly as two main components
-
alaris
- fibers pass into the superior margin of the lower lateral nasal cartilage and skin of the alar base, intermingling with the dilator naris muscle
-
labiocolumellaris (a.k.a. labial portion)
- fibers pass around the nasal base and into the philtrum, ramifying with myrtiformis and, then into the columella, joining with orbicularis oris fibers
-
alaris
Arterial supply
- infraorbital artery (branch of the maxillary artery) 2
- facial artery
Venous drainage
Innervation
- zygomatic and buccal branches of facial nerve (VII)
Action
- alaris: elevator and dilator of the nostril
- labiocolumellaris: depressor of the nostril tip
Variant anatomy
The levator labii superioris alaeque nasalis muscle is one of the more consistent muscles of facial expression, it was found without difficulty in a surgical study of forty-five cadavers 1.
References
- 1. Daniel RK, Glasz T, Molnar G, Palhazi P, Saban Y, Journel B. The lower nasal base: an anatomical study. (2013) Aesthetic surgery journal. 33 (2): 222-32. doi:10.1177/1090820X12472695 - Pubmed
- 2. Vasilios K. Thomaidis. Cutaneous Flaps in Head and Neck Reconstruction. (2014) ISBN: 9783642412547
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