Posterior Auricular Muscle Under the Skin, Posterior View

Description

Posterior to the auricle (pinna), the posterior auricular muscle lies as a thin, vertically oriented slip within the superficial fascia, immediately deep to the skin and superficial to the temporal fascia and mastoid region of the temporal bone. From a posterior perspective, its two or three small fiber bundles can be followed from the mastoid area toward the posterior surface of the auricular cartilage, where they blend with perichondrium and adjacent auricular musculature. Superiorly it approaches the auricular attachment along the temporal scalp, while inferiorly it tapers toward the upper mastoid and retroauricular skin. Subtle anatomy. This view matters because the posterior auricular region is a routine corridor for surgical exposure and local anesthesia around the ear, and small muscular slips can be confused with fibrous septa when elevating skin flaps. The posterior auricular artery and vein run in the same neighborhood, and the posterior auricular branch of the facial nerve emerges near the stylomastoid foramen and courses toward the occipitalis and auricular muscles, an arrangement relevant in parotidectomy, mastoid surgery, and retroauricular incisions. When a patient can “wiggle” the pinna, these fibers are part of the explanation. Use this illustration in head and neck anatomy teaching for the superficial musculoaponeurotic system around the auricle, in operative atlases describing retroauricular approaches, or in clinical education on facial nerve branches and surface landmarks posterior to the pinna in adult males. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.