The platysma muscle is a superficial

muscle Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much longer than in the other types of mus ...

of the

human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, cultu ...

neck The neck is the part of the body on many vertebrates that connects the head with the torso. The neck supports the weight of the head and protects the nerves that carry sensory and motor information from the brain down to the rest of the body. In ...

that overlaps the

sternocleidomastoid The sternocleidomastoid muscle is one of the largest and most superficial cervical muscles. The primary actions of the muscle are rotation of the head to the opposite side and flexion of the neck. The sternocleidomastoid is innervated by the access ...

. It covers the anterior surface of the neck superficially. When it contracts, it produces a slight wrinkling of the neck, and a "bowstring" effect on either side of the neck.

Structure

The platysma muscle is a broad sheet of muscle arising from the

fascia A fascia (; plural fasciae or fascias; adjective fascial; from Latin: "band") is a band or sheet of connective tissue, primarily collagen, beneath the skin that attaches to, stabilizes, encloses, and separates muscles and other internal organs ...

covering the upper parts of the

pectoralis major muscle The pectoralis major () is a thick, fan-shaped or triangular convergent muscle, situated at the chest of the human body. It makes up the bulk of the chest muscles and lies under the breast. Beneath the pectoralis major is the pectoralis minor ...

and deltoid muscle. Its fibers cross the

clavicle The clavicle, or collarbone, is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately 6 inches (15 cm) long that serves as a strut between the shoulder blade and the sternum (breastbone). There are two clavicles, one on the left and one on the r ...

, and proceed obliquely upward and medially along the side of the neck. This leaves the inferior part of the neck in the midline deficient of significant muscle cover. Fibres at the front of the muscle from the left and right sides intermingle together below and behind the

mandibular symphysis In human anatomy, the facial skeleton of the skull the external surface of the mandible is marked in the median line by a faint ridge, indicating the mandibular symphysis (Latin: ''symphysis menti'') or line of junction where the two lateral halve ...

, the junction where the two lateral halves of the

mandible In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movable bone ...

are fused at an early period of life (although not a true symphysis). Fibres at the back of the muscle cross the

, some being inserted into the bone below the oblique line, others into the skin and

subcutaneous tissue The subcutaneous tissue (), also called the hypodermis, hypoderm (), subcutis, superficial fascia, is the lowermost layer of the integumentary system in vertebrates. The types of cells found in the layer are fibroblasts, adipose cells, and m ...

of the lower part of the face. Many of these fibers blend with the muscles about the angle and lower part of the mouth. Sometimes fibers can be traced to the

zygomaticus major muscle The zygomaticus major muscle is a muscle of the human body. It extends from each zygomatic arch (cheekbone) to the corners of the mouth. It is a muscle of facial expression which draws the angle of the mouth superiorly and posteriorly to allow on ...

, or to the margin of the orbicularis oris muscle. Beneath the platysma, the external jugular vein descends from the angle of the mandible to the

Nerve supply

The platysma muscle is supplied by the cervical branch of the facial nerve.

Blood supply

The platysma muscle is supplied by branches of the

submental artery The submental artery is a branch of the facial artery that runs on the underside of the chin. Course The submental artery is the largest of the cervical branches of the facial artery, given off just as that vessel leaves the submandibular gland: ...

and suprascapular artery.

Relations

The platysma muscle lies just deep to the subcutaneous fascia and fat. It covers many structures found deeper in the neck, such as the

external carotid artery The external carotid artery is a major artery of the head and neck. It arises from the common carotid artery when it splits into the external and internal carotid artery. External carotid artery supplies blood to the face and neck. Structure T ...

, the external jugular vein, the parotid gland, the lesser occipital nerve, the great auricular nerve, and the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve.

Variation

Variations occur in the extension over the face and over the clavicle and shoulder. The platysma muscle may be absent or interdigitate with the muscle of the opposite side in front of the neck; attachment to clavicle, mastoid process or occipital bone occurs. A more or less independent fasciculus, the occipitalis minor muscle, may extend from the fascia over the trapezius muscle to fascia over the insertion of the sternocleidomastoid muscle.

Function

Wrinkling

When the entire platysma muscle is in action, it produces a slight

wrinkling A wrinkle, also known as a rhytid, is a fold, ridge or crease in an otherwise smooth surface, such as on skin or fabric. Skin wrinkles typically appear as a result of ageing processes such as glycation, habitual sleeping positions, loss of bo ...

of the surface of the skin of the

in an oblique direction (at an angle to the midline). It creates a distinctive "bowstring" effect on either side of the neck, where fibres move away from the midline.

Jaw and lip movement

The anterior portion of the platysma muscle, the thickest part of the muscle, depresses the lower jaw. It also draws down the lower lip and angle of the mouth in a frown. However, the platysma muscle plays only a minor role in depressing the lower lip, which is primarily performed by the depressor anguli oris muscle and the depressor labii inferioris muscle.

Clinical significance

In a similar fashion to other muscles, the platysma muscle is vulnerable to tears, strains and

muscle atrophy Muscle atrophy is the loss of skeletal muscle mass. It can be caused by immobility, aging, malnutrition, medications, or a wide range of injuries or diseases that impact the musculoskeletal or nervous system. Muscle atrophy leads to muscle weakness ...

, among many other possible conditions.

Injury

The platysma muscle is vulnerable to neck injuries that may penetrate it, as it is both superficial and thin.

Penetrating trauma Penetrating trauma is an open wound injury that occurs when an object pierces the skin and enters a tissue of the body, creating a deep but relatively narrow entry wound. In contrast, a blunt or ''non-penetrating'' trauma may have some deep da ...

in the neck injuries can be defined as any that completely penetrate the platysma muscle, making it an important landmark. CTA (

computed tomography angiography Computed tomography angiography (also called CT angiography or CTA) is a computed tomography technique used for angiography—the visualization of arteries and veins—throughout the human body. Using contrast injected into the blood vessels, im ...

) may be used to visualise arteries and

veins Veins are blood vessels in humans and most other animals that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenated ...

, such as for complex injuries from

gunshot wounds A gunshot wound (GSW) is a penetrating injury caused by a projectile (e.g. a bullet) from a gun (typically firearm or air gun). Damages may include bleeding, bone fractures, organ damage, wound infection, loss of the ability to move part of t ...

or stab wounds, and is useful to image any damage to the muscle. This minimises the number of exploratory surgeries that need to be performed, thus improving the handling of the condition.

Neck surgery

When neck surgery is performed, the platysma muscle usually needs to be cut through to access deeper structures. Fibres need to be sutured together accurately to prevent abnormal

scar A scar (or scar tissue) is an area of fibrous tissue that replaces normal skin after an injury. Scars result from the biological process of wound repair in the skin, as well as in other organs, and tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a ...

retraction, which may look unsightly.

Plastic surgery

Wrinkly skin of neck caused by decrease in muscle tone leading to thinning and shortening of muscle is the secondary complication of facial nerve palsy and can be associated with the normal aging process. Neck bands in the area above the platysma muscle become most noticeable with age. These may be aggravated by

weightlifting Weightlifting generally refers to activities in which people lift weights, often in the form of dumbbells or barbells. People lift various kinds of weights for a variety of different reasons. These may include various types of competition; pro ...

facelift A facelift, technically known as a rhytidectomy (from the Ancient Greek () "wrinkle", and () "excision", the surgical removal of wrinkles), is a type of cosmetic surgery procedure used to give a more youthful facial appearance. There are mul ...

procedures. This may be known as platysma dyskinesia or "turkey neck".

Conservative management Conservative management is a type of medical treatment defined by the avoidance of invasive measures such as surgery or other invasive procedures, usually with the intent to preserve function or body parts. For example, in appendicitis, conservati ...

may be used. Alternatively, interventions include botulinum toxin injection and platysmaplasty. Platysmaplasty is a surgery in this area, that can be open or closed; in the latter a specialised instrument called a plastymotome is used that allows the surgery to be done without incisions. It takes approximately 2 weeks for the symptoms to be reduced. Adipose tissue is found above the platysma muscle, so

liposuction Liposuction, or simply lipo, is a type of fat-removal procedure used in plastic surgery. Evidence does not support an effect on weight beyond a couple of months and does not appear to affect obesity-related problems. In the United States, lipo ...

of the neck may be performed fairly easily without the need to pierce it. It is also important to not damage the platysma muscle to prevent

bleeding Bleeding, hemorrhage, haemorrhage or blood loss, is blood escaping from the circulatory system from damaged blood vessels. Bleeding can occur internally, or externally either through a natural opening such as the mouth, nose, ear, urethra, vag ...

Images

File:Platysma.png, Platysma is visible at bottom, in neck

References

;Books * {{Authority control Muscles of the head and neck