Filling the Gap: Facial Anatomy and Safe Lower Lip Injection Practices
Abstract
:1. Introduction
1.1. Anatomical Considerations
1.2. Complications
1.3. Purpose
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Specimens
2.2. Dissection of the Hemifaces
2.3. Data Collection and Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Prevalence
3.2. Characterization
3.3. Statistical Analysis
4. Discussion
4.1. Overview
4.2. Inferior Labial Artery
4.3. Labiomental Artery
4.4. Mental Artery
4.5. Additional Safety Practices
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
ILA | Inferior Labial Artery |
FA | Facial Artery |
LMA | Labiomental Artery |
MA | Mental Artery |
SLA | Superior Labial Artery |
MF | Mental Foramen |
M1 | Mental Artery Branch 1 (most medial) |
M2 | Mental Artery Branch 2 |
M3 | Mental Artery Branch 3 |
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Artery | Prevalence Amongst Hemifaces | Prevalence Supplying Lower Lip | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
n | Percentage (%) | n | Percentage (%) | |
ILA | 43 | 90 | 42 | 88 |
LMA | 36 | 75 | 15 | 43 |
MA | 48 | 100 | 46 | 96 |
Variable | n | Percentage (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Characterization Type | A | 5 | 10 |
B | 43 | 90 | |
C | 0 | 0 | |
Bifurcation point in relation to oral commissure | Superior | 0 | 0 |
In line with | 1 | 2.1 | |
Inferior | 42 | 88 | |
Relationship to orbicularis oris muscle | Superficial | 0 | 0 |
Deep | 43 | 90 | |
Intermediate | 5 | 10 | |
Relationship to depressor anguli oris muscle | Superficial | 3 | 6.4 |
Deep | 40 | 83 | |
Indeterminate | 5 | 10 | |
Relationship to depressor labii inferioris muscle | Superficial | 15 | 31 |
Deep | 28 | 58 | |
Indeterminate | 5 | 10 |
Variable | n | Percentage (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Characterization Type | I | 0 | 0 |
II | 11 | 3.1 | |
III | 0 | 0 | |
IV | 21 | 58 | |
II and IV | 4 | 11 | |
Characterization of Origin | A | 11 | 23 |
B | 30 | 63 | |
C | 4 | 8.3 | |
D | 3 | 6.3 | |
Relationship to orbicularis oris muscle | Superficial | 0 | 0 |
Deep | 36 | 75 | |
Intermediate | 12 | 25 | |
Relationship to depressor anguli oris muscle | Superficial | 0 | 0 |
Deep | 36 | 75 | |
Indeterminate | 12 | 25 | |
Relationship to depressor labii inferioris muscle | Superficial | 1 | 2.1 |
Deep | 35 | 73 | |
Indeterminate | 12 | 25 |
Variable | n | Percentage (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Characterization Type | 1 | 2 | 4.2 |
2 | 27 | 56 | |
3 | 18 | 38 | |
4 | 1 | 2.1 | |
Branches Supplying Inferior Lip | 0 | 1 | 2.1 |
1 | 20 | 42 | |
2 | 22 | 46 | |
3 | 3 | 6.3 | |
Indeterminate | 2 | 4.2 |
Artery | Mean ± SD (mm) | Range (mm) |
---|---|---|
ILA | 1.5 ± 0.49 | 0.35–2.5 |
LMA | 1.2 ± 0.53 | 0.23–2.5 |
All MAs | 1.6 ± 0.51 | 0.62–2.7 |
M1 | 1.7 ± 0.48 | 0.65–2.7 |
M2 | 1.4 ± 0.48 | 0.62–2.3 |
M3 | 1.1 ± 0.50 | 0.66–1.6 |
Artery | Left Hemifaces Included (n) | Left Hemiface Diameter Mean ± SD (mm) | Right Hemifaces Included (n) | Right Hemiface Diameter Mean ± SD (mm) | Statistical Significance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
ILA | 15 | 1.4 ± 0.48 | 16 | 1.5 ± 0.53 | p = 0.57 |
LMA | 14 | 1.3 ± 0.62 | 11 | 1.4 ± 0.56 | p = 0.72 |
MAs Combined | 30 | 1.6 ± 0.50 | 26 | 1.6 ± 0.59 | p = 0.83 |
Bilaterality | Branches Include (n) | Mean | Horizontal (X) Variation | Vertical (Y) Variation | Overall Variation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Left Hemifaces | 30 | (−17, −8.2) | 60 | 17 | 34 |
Right Hemifaces | 26 | (20, −8.1) | 55 | 12 | 33 |
Levene’s Test | W = 0.03 | W = 0.03 | |||
p = 0.86 | p = 0.86 | ||||
F-Test for Variance | F = 1.1 | F = 1.4 | |||
p = 0.82 | p = 0.41 |
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Swancutt, M.M.; Allard, A.J.; Ho, A.; Sloan, S. Filling the Gap: Facial Anatomy and Safe Lower Lip Injection Practices. J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14, 3214. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14093214
Swancutt MM, Allard AJ, Ho A, Sloan S. Filling the Gap: Facial Anatomy and Safe Lower Lip Injection Practices. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2025; 14(9):3214. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14093214
Chicago/Turabian StyleSwancutt, Makayla M., Aaron J. Allard, Alex Ho, and Sara Sloan. 2025. "Filling the Gap: Facial Anatomy and Safe Lower Lip Injection Practices" Journal of Clinical Medicine 14, no. 9: 3214. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14093214
APA StyleSwancutt, M. M., Allard, A. J., Ho, A., & Sloan, S. (2025). Filling the Gap: Facial Anatomy and Safe Lower Lip Injection Practices. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(9), 3214. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14093214