Levator Labii Superioris Muscles

Description

Arising from the inferior margin of the orbit and the frontal process of the maxilla, the levator labii superioris forms a thin, vertically oriented facial expression muscle that descends anterior to the maxillary sinus and toward the upper lip. Its fibers run inferiorly and slightly medial, passing lateral to the nose and blending with the orbicularis oris and the perioral muscular complex at the level of the upper lip. Medial slips align with the levator labii superioris alaeque nasi, while more lateral relationships bring it into close proximity with the zygomaticus minor and the broader zygomaticus major coursing from the zygomatic bone toward the modiolus. Superficial to the muscle lie the subcutaneous tissues of the cheek, and deep to it are the maxilla and the infraorbital region traversed by the infraorbital neurovascular bundle. Understanding this morphology matters when you teach or plan procedures around the nasolabial fold and upper lip, because small differences in fiber direction change the line of pull that elevates and everts the upper lip. Facial nerve anatomy sits close by: buccal and zygomatic branches supplying the midface can be affected in facelift dissection, local trauma, or iatrogenic injury, producing asymmetry in smiling and impaired upper-lip elevation. Botox placement for gummy smile also hinges on distinguishing levator labii superioris from adjacent elevators such as levator labii superioris alaeque nasi and zygomaticus minor. Precision counts. Common use cases include head and neck anatomy courses, facial expression atlases, and surgical education content covering midface approaches, rhinoplasty-adjacent dissection planes, and perioral aesthetic injections. It also fits clinical handouts illustrating muscle targets and expected functional deficits after facial nerve branch injury in the cheek. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.