Muscle · Head
Zygomaticus major
Musculus zygomaticus major
Reviewed by Dr. Ryan Rietz, D.P.T. and Dr. John Breyman, D.C.
The slender strap that runs from the cheekbone down to the corner of the mouth and pulls it up and outward — the muscle of smiling. It is the clearest muscle to watch when testing the facial nerve, because a smile is a movement everyone can produce on request and any asymmetry is immediately visible. Its loss is one of the most distressing consequences of facial nerve palsy.
Also known as
- smile muscle
- smiling muscle
- zygomaticus