The corrugator supercilii muscle is a small, narrow, pyramidal muscle close to the eye. It arises from the medial end of the superciliary arch, and inserts into the deep surface of the

skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different de ...

of the

eyebrow An eyebrow is an area of short hairs above each eye that follows the shape of the lower margin of the brow ridges of some mammals. In humans, eyebrows serve two main functions: first, communication through facial expression, and second, preven ...

. It draws the

downward and medially, producing the vertical wrinkles of the forehead.

Structure

The corrugator supercilii muscle is located at the medial end of the

, beneath the

frontalis muscle The frontalis muscle () is a muscle which covers parts of the forehead of the skull. Some sources consider the frontalis muscle to be a distinct muscle. However, Terminologia Anatomica currently classifies it as part of the occipitofrontalis muscle ...

and just above the

orbicularis oculi muscle The orbicularis oculi is a muscle in the face that closes the eyelids. It arises from the nasal part of the frontal bone, from the frontal process of the maxilla in front of the lacrimal groove, and from the anterior surface and borders of a short ...

. It arises from the medial end of the superciliary arch. Its fibers pass upward and laterally, between the palpebral and orbital portions of the

. It inserts into the deep surface of the

of the

, above the middle of the orbital arch.

Relations

The

supratrochlear nerve The supratrochlear nerve is a branch of the frontal nerve, itself a branch of the ophthalmic nerve (CN V1) from the trigeminal nerve (CN V). It provides sensory innervation to the skin of the forehead and the upper eyelid. Structure The supra ...

passes by the corrugator supercilii muscle between it and the

Function

The corrugator supercilii muscle draws the

downward and medially, producing the vertical wrinkles of the forehead. It is the "

frowning A frown (also known as a scowl) is a facial expression in which the eyebrows are brought together, and the forehead is wrinkled, usually indicating displeasure, sadness or worry, or less often confusion or concentration. The appearance of a frow ...

" muscle, and may be regarded as the principal muscle in the expression of suffering. It also contracts to prevent high sun glare, pulling the eyebrows toward the bridge of the nose, making a roof over the area above the middle corner of the eye and typical forehead furrows."eye, human."Encyclopædia Britannica from

Encyclopædia Britannica 2006 Ultimate Reference Suite DVD An encyclopedia (American English) or encyclopædia (British English) is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge either general or special to a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into articles ...

2009

Clinical significance

The muscle is sometimes surgically severed or paralysed with botulinum toxin as a preventive treatment for some types of migraine or for aesthetic reasons.

Etymology

The name ''corrugator supercilii'' comes from

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

, and means ''wrinkler of the eyebrows''.

Additional images

File:Sobo 1909 261.png, Corrugator supercilii seen from the inside. File:Sobo 1909 262.png File:Sobo 1909 264.png File:Sobo 1909 266.png File:Corrugator supercilii muscle animation small.gif, Position of corrugator supercilii muscle (red) File:Gray134.png, Outer surface of frontal bone. File: Gray379.png, Visible on upper portion of face.

References

{{Authority control Muscles of the head and neck