VH Dissector: Head & Neck: Muscles of Facial Expression

Begin with the skull

STEP 1

The muscles of facial expression can be divided into four major groups. These are:

Orbital
Nasal
Oral
Scalp

As you add muscles to the face, try to make your facial muscles function as the added muscle.

The orbital group consists of the following:

The corrugator supercilii which draws the eyebrows medially

STEP 2

The orbicularis oculi has two components. These are

The orbicularis oculi palpebral component which closes the eye gently. This muscle is not indexed on our cadaver

STEP 3

And the orbicularis oculi orbital component which closes the eye forcefully

STEP 4

The nasal group consists of the following:

The nasalis. The nasalis transverse part that compresses the nasal aperture

STEP 5

The nasalis alar. The nasalis alar is the part of the nasalis that opens the nostril. This muscle is not indexed on our cadaver

STEP 6

The procerus which produces transverse wrinkles over the bridge of the nose

STEP 7

The oral group consists of the following:

The depressor anguli oris which draws the corner of the mouth downward and laterally.

STEP 8

The depressor labii inferioris which draws the lower lip downward and laterally.

STEP 9

The mentalis which raises and protrudes the lower lip and wrinkles the skin of the chin

STEP 10

Now add the following muscles:

Add the risorius which retracts the corner of the mouth

STEP 11

Add the zygomaticus major which draws the corner of the mouth upward and laterally

STEP 12

Add the zygomaticus minor which draws the upper lip upward

STEP 13

Add the levator labii superiorus which raises the upper lip and forms a nasolabial furrow

STEP 14

Add the levator labii superiorus alaque nasi which raises the upper lip and opens the nostril

STEP 15

Add the levator anguli oris which raises the corner of the mouth and helps to form a nasolabial furrow

STEP 16

Now add the orbicularis oris which closes and protrudes the lips.

STEP 17

Rotate the skull so you can visualize the addition of the next muscle

STEP 18

Add the buccinator which presses the cheek against the teeth

STEP 19

Normally there is a buccal fat pad between the buccinator and the other muscle layers of the face and jaw

STEP 20

Using the Rotate and Skin tools, rotate the skull and add skin to appreciate the addition of the fat pad to the shape of the face of the cadaver

STEP 21

The scalp is composed of only one muscle that has two bellies and is mostly connective tissue

Begin with the occipitofrontalis frontal belly, which wrinkles the forehead and raises the eyebrows

STEP 22

Unfortunately, this cadaver cannot wiggle his ears by using the anterior, posterior or superior auricular muscles, because they are not listed in the index

STEP 23

Credits:

VH Dissector steps modified for Drexel Dissector by Dr. Haviva Goldman from original website activity created by Jeffrey Fahl, MD, Kyle Petersen, PhD, Richard Drake, PhD, Alesha Petitt, MA, Claira Ralston, MS and Kim Price, MA and modified by Jeffrey Fahl, MD, Michael Smith, PhD, Albany Medical College.

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