Lateral Perspective of the Corrugator Supercilii

Description

Shown from a lateral perspective in an adult male, the corrugator supercilii appears as a small, pyramidal slip deep to the medial eyebrow, arising from the superomedial orbital rim of the frontal bone near the glabella and passing laterally into the dermis of the superciliary region. Superficial landmarks include the frontal bone and nasal bones anteriorly, with the maxilla and mandible forming the midface and jaw, and the coronal, squamosal, and lambdoid sutures tracing the cranial vault posteriorly. Inferior to the skull base, the cervical vertebrae C1 to C7 align in normal cervical lordosis, with intervertebral discs separating the vertebral bodies. Adult dentition is visible. Corrugator supercilii is one of the key muscles of facial expression responsible for medial brow depression and the vertical glabellar lines seen with frowning, and this side view clarifies its relationship to the superomedial orbit where injections and dissections can go wrong. For aesthetic and reconstructive practice, the muscle’s deep position relative to the brow soft tissues helps explain why glabellar botulinum toxin placement targets this plane while avoiding unintended diffusion toward the levator palpebrae superioris, a known cause of post-treatment eyelid ptosis. Small muscle, common complication. The adjacent nasal cartilages and bony orbit also provide practical surface cues for safe needle orientation. Use this artwork in head and neck anatomy teaching for medical, dental, and physician assistant curricula when introducing muscles of facial expression alongside skull sutures and basic cervical spine alignment. It also suits surgical atlases and journal figures discussing glabellar rejuvenation, frontal headache trigger-point decompression, or anatomy-based injection mapping for the brow and forehead. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.