Sherine Raveendran
Toronto Medical Aesthetics, Canada
Title: Classification and morphological variation of the frontalis muscle and implications on the clinical practice
Biography
Biography: Sherine Raveendran
Abstract
Forehead aesthetics is an imperative element in the rejuvenation process of the face. Restoration of the upper facial aesthetics facilitates to counteract the changes related to the aging process. The interaction between the frontalis and its antagonist's muscles contribute to the overall aesthetic balance of the forehead. In this study, we evaluated the gross anatomy of the frontalis and classified the muscle according to the morphological appearance. Twenty-six cadavers of Caucasian and South East Asian origin were dissected. The frontalis muscle was dissected without mobilization and the gross anatomy and variations were analyzed on the backdrop of gender and ethnicity. Our dissection studies revealed three main variations of the muscle based on the extent of interdigitation between the two bellies in the midline. The average length of the muscle is 10.9 cm in males and 9.1cm in females. The width of the muscle in females was 6.5 cm at the base and 4 cm at the insertion and 5.8cm at the base and 4.4cm at the insertion in males. In six specimens, the muscle attached only up to the medial two-thirds of the eyebrows. This was predominantly observed in the Caucasians cadavers and may contribute the constitutional downward slanting eyebrows in some individuals. This study provides a comprehensive analysis and classification of the frontalis muscle. Understanding the morphological variation of the muscle helps to amend the clinical application accordingly. Clinical evaluation of the patterns of decussation of the frontalis muscle may assist with non-surgical interventions using botulinum toxin.