Auricular muscles

Auricular muscles
The muscles of the pinna
Auricular muscles in context with the other facial muscles
Latin	Musculi auriculares
Gray's	subject #229 1035
Origin	Galeal aponeurosis
Insertion	Front of the helix, cranial surface of the pinna
Artery	Posterior auricular artery
Nerve	Facial nerve
Actions	Undeveloped in humans (wiggle ears)

The auricular muscles (or extrinsic muscles) are the three muscles surrounding the auricula or outer ear:

• anterior auricular muscle
• superior auricular muscle
• posterior auricular muscle

The superior muscles is the largest of the three, followed by the posterior and the anterior.

Action

In some mammals these muscles can adjust the direction of the pinna. In humans these muscles possess very little action. The auricularis anterior draws the auricula forward and upward; the Auricularis superior slightly raises it; and the Auricularis posterior draws it backward.

See also

• Intrinsic muscles of external ear

References

This article incorporates text from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy.

External links

• LUC aur
• -892338099 at GPnotebook