Levator anguli oris

From WikiMD's Food, Medicine & Wellness Encyclopedia

Gray381.png

Template:Infobox muscle

The levator anguli oris is a muscle of the human body that is involved in facial expression. It is one of the muscles of the mouth and is responsible for elevating the angle of the mouth, which contributes to expressions such as smiling.

Anatomy[edit | edit source]

The levator anguli oris originates from the canine fossa of the maxilla, which is located just below the infraorbital foramen. It inserts into the modiolus at the angle of the mouth, where it intermingles with fibers of other muscles such as the orbicularis oris and the zygomaticus major.

Blood Supply[edit | edit source]

The muscle receives its blood supply from the facial artery, which is a branch of the external carotid artery.

Innervation[edit | edit source]

The levator anguli oris is innervated by the buccal branches of the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII).

Function[edit | edit source]

The primary function of the levator anguli oris is to elevate the angle of the mouth. This action is essential for expressions such as smiling and laughing. It works in opposition to the depressor anguli oris, which pulls the angle of the mouth downward.

Clinical Significance[edit | edit source]

Dysfunction of the levator anguli oris can result in asymmetry of facial expressions, which may be observed in conditions such as Bell's palsy or after facial nerve injury.

See Also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]




Wiki.png

Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index‏‎ - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes

Search WikiMD


Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD

WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.

Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.

Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD