Anat Biol Anthropol.  2024 Mar;37(1):9-15. 10.11637/aba.2024.37.1.9.

Identifying the Origin of Zygomaticus Major Muscle Using Soft and Hard Tissue Landmarks

• Yang KY
• Kim HJ
• Cha SR
• Yu SK

• KMID: 2562472
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.11637/aba.2024.37.1.9

Abstract

The zygomaticus major muscle (ZMM) has a significant impact on both facial expression and the aging process. To improve clinical applications such as rhytidectomy and botox treatment in the malar region, it is necessary to obtain more specific anatomical data regarding the origin of the ZMM. Therefore, the aims of this study were to identify the origin of the ZMM using soft and hard tissue landmarks in Koreans and to find a stable landmark that can accurately predict the origin location of the ZMM. Twenty-seven hemifaces were used (22 males, 5 females, mean age 61.1 years). The distance from the tragus, lateral canthus, alare as the soft tissue landmarks, and a connecting line between the tragus and soft tissue pogonion to the origin of the ZMM was measured. The distance from the zygomaticotemporal suture, horizontal distance from the lateral orbital wall, vertical distance from the F-H plane, and parallel distance from an oblique line extending from the mental protuberance to the most anteriorinferior aspect of the temporal fossa to the origin of ZMM were measured. The mean distances from the tragus, lateral canthus, and alare to the origin of the ZMM were 54.9±5.55, 34.6±4.56, and 59.6±7.14 mm, respectively. The mean distance from the connecting line was 34.3±7.00 mm. The mean distance from the zygomaticotemporal suture was 9.8±2.15 mm. The origin of the ZMM was located at 20.0±4.48 mm laterally from the lateral orbital wall and 7.00±2.81 mm below the F-H plane. The mean distance from the oblique line was 14.3±4.76 mm. As a result of statistical analysis, the degree of scattering of the measured values using the tragus, lateral orbital wall, and F-H plane as landmarks was small. As a result of this study, to predict stably the origin of the ZMM for plastic and reconstructive surgery, it was recommended to use three landmarks: the F-H plane as a horizontal reference line, the tragus as the posterior, and the lateral orbital wall as the anterior.

Keyword

Zygomaticus major muscle; Origin; Soft tissue landmarks; Hard tissue landmarks; Plastic surgery