Occipitofrontalis muscle

Occipitofrontalis muscle is a muscle which covers parts of the skull. It consists of two parts or bellies, the occipital belly and the frontal belly. The occipital belly, near the occipital bone, and the frontal belly, near the frontal bone, are connected by the galea aponeurotica.

Structure

The occipitofrontalis muscle is made up of two parts: the occipital belly and the frontal belly. The occipital belly originates from the occipital bone and the mastoid process of the temporal bone. It inserts into the galea aponeurotica. The frontal belly originates from the epicranial aponeurosis and inserts into the skin of the eyebrows and the root of the nose.

Function

The occipitofrontalis muscle helps in the movement of the scalp, eyebrows, and forehead. The occipital belly pulls the scalp back, while the frontal belly raises the eyebrows and wrinkles the forehead.

Clinical significance

Damage to the occipitofrontalis muscle can lead to conditions such as brow ptosis, which is a drooping or falling of the eyebrow. It can also cause headaches due to tension in the muscle.

See also

• List of muscles of the human body
• Facial muscles
• Scalp

References

Occipitofrontalis muscle Resources
Need Help Finding a Doctor? WikiMD's DocFinder can help find general and specialist physicians.	Latest articles Most recent articles Ongoing trials.