| Facial muscles | |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| Lateral head anatomy | |
| Latin | musculi faciei |
| Origin | |
| Insertion | |
| Artery | |
| Nerve | facial nerve |
| Actions | |
The facial muscles are a group of striated muscles innervated by the facial nerve that, among other things, control facial expression. These muscles are also called mimetic muscles.
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The facial muscles are subcutaneous (just under the skin) muscles that control facial expression. They generally originate on bone, and insert on the skin of the face.
The facial muscles are innervated by facial nerve (cranial nerve VII). In contrast, the nearby masticatory muscles are innervated by the mandibular nerve, a branch of the trigeminal nerve (V).
The facial muscles are derived from the second branchial/pharyngeal arch.
The facial muscles include:[1]
The platysma is innervated by the facial nerve. Although it is mostly in the neck, due to its common innervation it can sometimes also be considered a muscle of facial expression.
The stylohyoid muscle, stapedius and posterior belly of the digastric muscle are also innervated by the facial nerve, but are not considered muscles of facial expression.
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