MUSCLES OF THE

HEAD AND NECK

Myology
Types of Muscles
Skeletal striated muscle
 voluntary somatic muscle
 make up the skeletal muscles
Cardiac striated muscle
 involuntary visceral muscle
 forms most of the walls of the heart and adjacent parts of the
great vessels
Smooth muscle (unstriated)
 involuntary visceral muscle
 forms part of the walls of most vessels and hollow organs
Muscle attachment sites
 Tendon - attachment site to bones
 Origin - relatively fixed during muscular contraction (generally a
more proximal location)
 Insertion - moveable during the contraction
 Belly - fleshy portion of the muscle in between attachment sites
Connective tissues
 Ligament - fibrous tissue that connects bones to other bones
 Aponeurosis - layer of flat broad tendon
 Tendon - tough band of fibrous connective tissue that usually
connects the muscle to bone
Fascia
 layer of fibrous tissue that surrounds muscles, groups of
muscles, blood vessels and nerves,
nerves, binding those structures
together
 allow the muscles to slide upon each other during movement
Coordination among muscles
 body movements are often the result of multiple muscles
working groups
 Agonist or prime mover
doing the contracting and creating the movement
 Antagonist
is relaxing and letting the movement take place
 Synergist
support the agonist in creating movement
 Fixator
allows the agonist to work, stabilizing the origin
Muscles of the Head
 Muscles of eye Origin Insertion Action Innervation

M. orbicularis oculi circularly around the orbit, is attached to

closing the eyelid
pars palpebralis and orbitalis ligamentum palpebrale mediale

M. orbicularis oculi crista lacrimalis enlarges saccus

margins of the eye-lids
pars lacrimalis posterior lacrimalis

N.facialis

middle and lateral part vertical furrowing over

M. corrugator supercilii sutura nasofrontalis
of the eyebrows radix nasí

transversal skin folds

M. procerus radix nasi glabella
above radix nasí
Muscles of the mouth Origin Insertion Action Innervation

juga alveolaria of incisors, mouth closing, labial

M. orbicularis oris inferior part of apertura labial skin constriction, labial
piriformis puckering

M. levator labii inferior edge of aditus

labium superius elevation of upper lip
superioris orbitae

M. levator labii superioris angulus medialis orbitae elevation of upper lip and
sulcus nasolabialis
alaeque nasi et dorsum nasi enlargement of nostril

N.facialis

M. levator anguli oris fossa canina angulus oris elevates angulus oris

M. zygomaticus pulls angulus oris

os zygomaticum sulcus nasolabialis
minor laterocranially

M. zygomaticus pulls oral angle

os zygomaticum sulcus nasolabialis
major laterocranially
Muscles of the
Origin Insertion Action Innervation
mouth

traction of oral angle

M. risorius fascia masseterica angulus oris
laterocranially

processus alveolaris of the compresses cheeks

M. buccinator posterior teeth et raphe angulus oris againts molar teeth;
buccopharyngeum sucking and blowing

M. depressor traction of angulus oris

basis mandibulae angulus oris N.facialis
anguli oris caudally

M. depressor traction of lower lip

basis mandibulae labium inferius
labii inferioris caudally

juga alveolaria of lower pulls chin skin cranially,

M. mentalis skin of the chin
incisors protrudes lower lip
 Muscles of
Origin Insertion Action Innervation
epicranium

traction of the head skin

M. occipitofrontalis
linea nuchae suprema galea aponeurotica dorsally, and erases forehead
venter occipitalis
wrinkles

contraction causes
M. occipitofrontalis margo anterior of galea skin of forehead transversal forehead wrinkles,
N.facialis
venter frontalis aponeurotica and eyebrow and elevation of palpebra
superior

M. temporoparietalis galea aponeurotica auricular cartilage pulls auricula cranially

Nasal muscle Origin Insertion Action Innervation

juga alveolaria of the

M. nasalis ala nasi narrowing of nostril N.facialis
upper anterior teeth
 Masticatory
Origin Insertion Action Innervation
muscles

planum temporale (as far

as linea temporalis inf.) and processus coronoideus elevation and
M. temporalis
internal surface of temporal mandibulae retrusion
fascia

corpus ossis zygomatici et

M. masseter elevation and
arcus zygomaticus tuberositas masseterica
pars superficialis protrusion
(anterior ⅔)

M. masseter arcus zygomaticus external surface of

retrusion
pars profunda (posterior ⅓) ramus mandibulae

M. pterygoideus
medialis fossa pterygoidea tuberositas pterygoidea N.trigeminus
pars medialis
elevation
M. pterygoideus
medialis tuber maxillae tuberositas pterygoidea
pars lateralis

M. pterygoideus
facies infratemporalis alae discus articularis et
lateralis
majoris ossis sphenoidalis fovea pterygoidea
pars superior
protrusion and
M. pterygoideus depression
lateralis processus discus articularis et
lateralis
pterygoidei fovea pterygoidea
pars inferior
Muscles of the Neck
 Superficial muscles Origin Insertion Action Innervation

fascia pectoralis et skin over basis n. facialis -

M. platysma stretches cervical skin
deltoidea mandibulae cervical branch

bilateral: dorsiflexion of the

processus head and neck; unilateral:
manubrium sterni et n. accessorius,
M. sternocleidomastoideus mastoideus et linea lateroflexion of the head
clavicula (medial ⅓ ) plexus cervicalis
nuchae superior and neck; auxiliary
inspiratory m.

Scalene muscles Origin Insertion Action Innervation

M. scalenus anterior processus transversi of

and medius cervical vertebrae
processus transversi of
M. scalenus posterior
cervical vertebrae
first rib
unilateral: lateroflexion and
rotation of neck; bilateral:
Plexus cervicalis
flexes neck; auxiliary
inspiratory muscles
second rib
 Suprahyoid
Origin Insertion Action Innervation
muscles

mandibular depression;
corpus ossis hyoidei et
M. mylohyoideus linea mylohyoidea fixed mandible: elevates the n. mylohyoideus
raphe mylohyoidea
hyoid bone

M. digastricus fixed mandible: elevation of r. digastricus n.

incisura mastoidea os hyoideum
venter posterior the hyoid bone facialis

fixed hyoid bone:

M. digastricus mandibular depression;
os hyoideum fossa digastrica n. mylohyoideus
venter anterior fixed mandible: elevation of
the hyoid bone

elevates the hyoid bone and

M. stylohyoideus processus styloideus os hyoideum n. facialis
pulls it dorsally

mandibular depression;
brach from C1 and
M. geniohyoideus spina mandibulae os hyoideum fixed mandible: elevation of
C2
the hyoid bone
 Infrahyoid
Origin Insertion Action Innervation
muscles

manubrium sterni et depresses of hyoid

M. sternohyoideus os hyoideum
art. sternoclavicularis bone and larynx

manubrium sterni et cartilago thyroidea

M. sternothyroideus depresses larynx
first rib (linea obliqua)

lateral part of body

cartilago thyroidea depresses of hyoid
M. thyrohyoideus and greater horn of Plexus cervicalis
(linea obliqua) bone
hyoid bone

margo superior scapulae

M. omohyoideus
(area nearby ligamentum intermediate tendon
venter inferior
transversum scapulae)
depresses of hyoid
bone and larynx
M. omohyoideus
intermediate tendon os hyoideum
venter superior
 Prevertebral
Origin Insertion Action Innervation
muscles

The muscle is located in front of body and
M. longus colli
transverse processes of cervical vertebrae
unilateral: lateroflexion of
the head and neck; bilateral:
flexes head and neck

unilateral: lateroflexion of
processus transversi pars basilaris ossis
M. longus capitis the head and neck; bilateral:
of cervical vertebrae occipitalis
flexes head and neck
Plexus cervicalis
unilateral: lateroflexion of
M. rectus capitis processus transversi pars basilaris ossis
the head and neck; bilateral:
anterior of atlas occipitalis
flexes head and neck

unilateral: lateroflexion of
M. rectus capitis processus transversi pars basilaris ossis
the head and neck; bilateral:
lateralis of atlas occipitalis
flexes head and neck
Cervical Fascias
 Superficial fascia
immediately deep to the skin
 Deep cervical fascia
deep investing fascia
visceral (pretracheal) fascia
prevertebral fascia
alar fascia
Deep investing fascia
 wraps around the entire circumference of the neck
 splits to pass around SCM and trapezius
 Superior attachment
inf. border of mandible, inf. border of the body of hyoid bone,
angle of mandible, inf. border of zygomatic arch, mastoid
process, styloid process and attachments of SCM and
trapezius to the skull
 Inferior attachment
manubrium sterni, clavicles and spine of the scapula
Visceral/pretracheal fascia
 deep to the deep investing fascia
 forms a sheath around the visceral unit of the neck
 Superior attachment
hyoid bone and base of the skull
 Inferior attachment
superior mediastinum → pericardium of the heart
Prevertebral fascia
 surrounds the cervical vertebral unit
 Superior attachment
base of the skull
 Inferior attachment
blends with the investing fascia of the musculature of the
back and with the anterior longitudinal ligament of the
thoracic vertebrae
Alar fascia
 formed by a division of the anterior componemt of the
prevertebral fascia
 binds to the transverse processes laterally