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AnatomyHead and neckFace and scalpFrontalis muscle
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AnatomyHead and neckFace and scalpFrontalis muscle

Frontalis muscle

Author: Danijel Tosovic, PhD • Reviewer: Dimitrios Mytilinaios, MD, PhD
Last reviewed: February 13, 2024
Reading time: 1 minute

Recommended video: Muscles of facial expression [12:24]
Overview of the muscles responsible for facial expression.
Frontalis muscle
Musculus frontalis
1/6
Synonyms: Frontal belly of epicranius muscle, Frontal belly of occipitofrontalis muscle , show more...

The frontalis muscle, also commonly referred to as the frontal belly of the occipitofrontalis muscle, is a muscle of facial expression and forms part of the epicranial muscle group. The frontalis does not have any bony attachments, rather it adheres to the superficial fascia of the eyebrows and blends with adjacent muscles (procerus, corrugator supercilii, orbicularis oculi) anteriorly, while it ascends to join the epicranial aponeurosis (galea aponeurotica) posteriorly. 

The functions of the frontalis include: pulling the scalp anteriorly, wrinkling of the forehead and elevation of the eyebrows. It is innervated by the temporal branches of the facial nerve (CN VII).

Terminology English: Frontalis muscle 
Latin: Musculus frontalis
Origin Skin of eyebrow, muscles of forehead
Insertion Epicranial aponeurosis
Action Elevates eyebrows, pulls scalp anteriorly and wrinkles skin of forehead.

Learn more about the muscles of facial expression with this study unit:

Muscles of facial expression Explore study unit

Sources

All content published on Kenhub is reviewed by medical and anatomy experts. The information we provide is grounded on academic literature and peer-reviewed research. Kenhub does not provide medical advice. You can learn more about our content creation and review standards by reading our content quality guidelines.
  • Moore, K. L., Dalley, A. F., & Agur, A. M. R. (2014). Clinically Oriented Anatomy (7th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
  • Standring, S. (2016). Gray's Anatomy (41st ed.). Edinburgh: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.

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