From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Nasalis muscle

Muscle of the nose

Field	Value
Name	Nasalis muscle
Latin	musculus nasalis
Image	File:Sobo 1909 266.png
Caption	The superior transverse part and inferior alar part of the nasalis muscle
Origin	Maxilla
Insertion	Nasal bone
Blood	Superior labial artery
Nerve	Buccal branch of the facial nerve
Action	Compresses bridge of nose, depresses tip of nose, elevates corners of nostrils

The nasalis muscle is a sphincter-like muscle of the nose. It has a transverse part and an alar part. It compresses the nasal cartilages, and can "flare" the nostrils. It can be used to test the facial nerve (VII), which supplies it.

Structure

The nasalis muscle covers the nasal cartilages of the lower surface of the nose. It consists of two parts, transverse and alar:

The transverse part (compressor naris muscle) arises from the maxilla, above and lateral to the incisive fossa. Its fibers proceed upward and medially, expanding into a thin aponeurosis which is continuous on the bridge of the nose with that of the muscle of the opposite side, and with the aponeurosis of the procerus muscle. It compresses the nostrils and may completely close them.
The alar part (dilator naris muscle) arises from the maxilla over the lateral incisor and inserts into the greater alar cartilage. Its medial fibres tend to blend with the depressor septi nasi muscle, and has been described as part of that muscle.

Nerve supply

Like all the other muscles of facial expression, the nasalis muscle is supplied by the facial nerve (VII).

Function

The nasalis muscle compresses the nasal cartilages. It may also "flare" the nostrils.

Clinical significance

Cleft lip and cleft palate

The nasalis muscle is one of the key muscles not formed or inserted correctly with cleft lip and cleft palate deformity. The head of the transverse part needs to be identified during reconstructive surgery so that it can be surgically sutured (connected) to the nasal septum. The origin at the maxilla may also be repositioned for better symmetry.

Facial nerve testing

Due to it being superficial, the nasalis muscle can be used to test the facial nerve. Specifically, it can be used to test the zygomatic branches.

Additional images

Nasalis.png|Muscles of the head, face, and neck. (Nasalis labeled at center left.) File:Nasalis muscle animation small.gif|Position of nasalis muscle (shown in red).

References

(2009). "Nasal Reconstruction".
(February 2019). "Impact of nasalis muscle repair in unilateral cleft lip patients". Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery.
"Nasalis".
(2012). "Aminoff's Electrodiagnosis in Clinical Neurology".
(2017). "Maxillofacial Surgery".
(2013). "Electromyography and Neuromuscular Disorders".

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

muscles-of-the-head-and-neck facial-muscles human-head-and-neck

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Nasalis muscle — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report