The Face – A Musculoskeletal Perspective. A literature review

The individual appearance and facial expression are based on the musculoskeletal system of the face. The bones of the face contribute to the anterior portion of the skull. This region is also referred to as the facial skeleton or viscerocranium. The muscles of the face include all mimetic muscles innervated by the cranial nerve VII (facial nerve). Two masticatory muscles (masseter, temporalis) that are supplied by the motoric portion of the cranial nerve V3 (mandibular nerve) also contribute to the contour of the face. The mimetic muscles (also known as facial muscles or skin muscles) generally originate from underlying bone surfaces and insert to the skin of the face or intermingle with other facial muscles. This complex musculature contributes to the functioning of the orofacial sense organs and the mediation of emotional and affective states (facial expression). Other soft tissue components of the face include the fasciae and fat compartments. The face commonly exhibits a superficial and a deep fascia, and various facial fat compartments are present.