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CC BY-NC 4.0 · Arch Plast Surg 2017; 44(04): 266-275
DOI: 10.5999/aps.2017.44.4.266
Topic
Preparation of Sub-SMAS Facelift

Review of the Nomenclature of the Retaining Ligaments of the Cheek: Frequently Confused Terminology

Yeui Seok Seo
Area88 Plastic Surgery Clinic, Seoul, Korea
,
Jennifer Kim Song
VIVA Plastic Surgery Clinic, Busan, Korea
,
Tae Suk Oh
Department of Plastic Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
,
Seong Ihl Kwon
IDEA Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Clinic, Seoul, Korea
,
Tanvaa Tansatit
The Chula Soft Cadaver Surgical Training Center and Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand
,
Joo Heon Lee
Area88 Plastic Surgery Clinic, Seoul, Korea
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Since the time of its inception within facial anatomy, wide variability in the terminology as well as the location and extent of retaining ligaments has resulted in confusion over nomenclature. Confusion over nomenclature also arises with regard to the subcutaneous ligamentous attachments, and in the anatomic location and extent described, particularly for zygomatic and masseteric ligaments. Certain historical terms—McGregor’s patch, the platysma auricular ligament, parotid cutaneous ligament, platysma auricular fascia, temporoparotid fasica (Lore’s fascia), anterior platysma-cutaneous ligament, and platysma cutaneous ligament—delineate retaining ligaments of related anatomic structures that have been conceptualized in various ways. Confusion around the masseteric cutaneous ligaments arises from inconsistencies in their reported locations in the literature because the size and location of the parotid gland varies so much, and this affects the relationship between the parotid gland and the fascia of the masseter muscle. For the zygomatic ligaments, there is disagreement over how far they extend, with descriptions varying over whether they extend medially beyond the zygomaticus minor muscle. Even the ‘main’ zygomatic ligament’s denotation may vary depending on which subcutaneous plane is used as a reference for naming it. Recent popularity in procedures using threads or injectables has required not only an accurate understanding of the nomenclature of retaining ligaments, but also of their location and extent. The authors have here summarized each retaining ligament with a survey of the different nomenclature that has been introduced by different authors within the most commonly cited published papers.

Keyboard - Cheek - Fascia - Ligaments - Rejuvenation - Anatomy

This review article was presented at the Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 2015 Symposium of the Korean Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery on March 28, 2015, in Seoul, Korea and at the Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 2016 Symposium of the Korean Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery on March 12, 2016, in Seoul, Korea.




Publication History

Received: 01 June 2017

Accepted: 30 June 2017

Article published online:
20 April 2022

© 2017. The Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, permitting unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

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