Applied anatomy of the supratrochlear nerve and the supraorbital nerve and its significance in the forehead rhytidectomy

Objective: To provide anatomic basis for the selection of cut position and apart plane in forehead rhytidectomy.Methods:18 adult cadaver head face specimens were dissected, microdissected and observed in tissue sections.Full thickness tissue in glabella from one fresh cadaver specimens were processed for histological study.Results:① After rounding the supraorbital rim, the supraorbital nerve is divided into two branches, a superficial branch and a deep branch. The superficial one pass through the deep of the frontalis muscle and then distribute in the forehead skin.The deep one run cephalad through the fromtalis muscle, the galea aponeurotica and the pericranium and then to lambdoid suture.② The supratrochlear nerve run through the lateral corrugator and then through frontalis muscle, arrive at acalp.Conclusion: ① The coronal incision should be near to the lambdoid suture and the flap should be dissected in subperiosteum to avoid damaging the supraorbital nerve. ② When amputating the corrugator, we should operate carefully under direct vision to avoid damaging superaortibal nerve.