Mentalis

Mentalis

Muscles of the head, face, and neck.
Details
Origin anterior mandible
Insertion chin
Nerve mandibular branch of facial nerve
Actions elevates and wrinkles skin of chin, protrudes lower lip
Identifiers
Latin musculus mentalis
TA A04.1.03.037
FMA 46825

Anatomical terms of muscle

The mentalis is a paired central muscle of the lower lip, situated at the tip of the chin.[1] It originates from the mentum and inserts into the chin soft tissue. The primary effect of the mentalis contraction is the upward-inward movement of the soft tissue complex of the chin, which raises the central portion of the lips in turn. In the setting of lip incompetence (the upper and lower lips do not touch each other at rest), the mentalis muscle contraction can bring temporary but strained oral competence.

In conjunction with orbicularis contraction, the mentalis muscle allows the lips to "pout." Externally, mentalis contraction causes wrinkling of the chin skin, as used in expressions of doubt or displeasure. It is sometimes referred to as the "pouting muscle."


Geniospasm is a genetic movement disorder of the mentalis muscle.

Additional images

References


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/29/2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.